


Formalities

by cherrybubblegum



Series: Frivolities [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Complete, Garon is an emotionally abusive father, M/M, Sexual Content, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-09-10 17:10:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 38,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8925397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrybubblegum/pseuds/cherrybubblegum
Summary: Leo and Takumi's friendship changes after an unexpected evening. Unfortunately, being royalty appears to impede this development.





	1. Fete for the Agricultural Syndicate

“Brother, you’re still in here?”

Leo turned his head to see Elise standing in her nightgown at the large door of the library, a small lamp flickering in her hand.

Leo was surprised his own lamp, at the corner of the desk, was not yet out of oil. Next to it was a small stack of frustratingly empty paper.

“I’m nearly done,” Leo lied. He preferred the atmosphere of the library to that of his bedroom for tasks like these –although with the amount of use the library got it was nearly a second room to him anyways. “Get yourself off to bed. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

Ignoring his request, Elise came prancing across the wide expanse of marbled floor, dimly reflecting the grey-blue light coming through the tall paneled windows. “Who’re you writing to? Gosh that’s a lot of paper!”

Leo shifted himself slightly, hoping to cover the fact the sheet he was currently working on had nothing but an unembellished salutation. “How is it that if Xander tells you to get to bed you practically run in your slippers, but with me it’s seen as an invitation?”

Without missing a beat Elise replied, “Because with Xander I know he’s probably actually busy working on official stuff. _You’re_ just writing a letter to Takumi.”

Leo gazed impassively at his sister’s impish grin. “Rude.”

Elise gave him a quick kiss on the head and flounced back out of the library. “Tell him I say hello!” she called from somewhere down the hall.

Leo sighed at the empty space on his page he still hadn’t been able to fill up. It had been two weeks since he and Takumi spoke at Xander’s coronation, and in that time not a single letter had been sent or received. If they were pretending things were normal they were doing a very bad job at it.

Which is why Leo had to write this letter and somehow make everything normal again.

He still hadn’t decided whose fault it was, and that was half the problem. Sure, it was Leo who had invited Takumi over to his room when everyone else had been celebrating. It was also Leo who thought it would be fun to finally finish a bottle of liquor that had been collecting dust in his room. But it was Takumi who refused to be walked back afterwards! … But it was Leo who stupidly (drunkenly perhaps) thought it would be a good idea to admit months of hidden feelings. But it was also Leo who had insisted they stopped before they did anything they might regret.

But it was Takumi who’d run out of the room before dawn in a panic and didn’t come back downstairs until it was time to leave.

Maybe it didn’t actually matter whose fault it was.

Did Takumi not want to talk about what happened? Perhaps Takumi didn’t even recall most of it? Would it be better to just not bring it up at all? Yet the idea of writing a whimsical and casual letter like those they used to relay with no forward or mention at all of the strange sequence of events seemed unreasonable.

Leo finally put down his pen and crossed his arms in frustration. Takumi was probably sitting somewhere in that beautiful Hoshidan castle waiting for Leo to decide how to break this awkward stalemate. Leo hated stalemates.

Fine. If Takumi wanted to be the stubborn one then Leo would be the better man. Their friendship deserved that much at least.

 

 

“You want to come to the fete…?”

Xander seemed appropriately surprised at Leo’s request in the morning, being well aware of his brother’s aversion to parties. Leo made a point of keeping his face unaffected. “Yes. Unless my presence would be unappreciated?”

“Oh no. Quite the opposite in fact. But… the whole business is quite trifling. I’m almost certain the head of the agricultural syndicate is already willing to sign our agreement –coming to this little party is more of a polite nicety.”

“He must be a very well-respected individual for the Hoshidan royal family to agree to host said party at the palace.”

Xander took a heavy drink of his morning coffee before replying. “There’s a lot Nohr can learn from our new allies. For example, the benefit of being in good relations with our nations farmers and suppliers of natural resources. I’m sure he will be very interested in Brynhildr if you’d entertain him a little.”

Leo sighed inwardly at what he was voluntarily signing himself up for. “Of course.”

The shattering of a platter and Felicia’s small shriek announced the end of breakfast.

 

 

He padded softly along the shiny wood floors, the soft slippers they were to wear indoors muffling his usual boot-clad step. Because of the hour, Leo couldn’t help but feel he was sneaking about. Usually they were able to arrive in Hoshido by dinner time, but this particular trip had a few interruptions, so only Ryouma was there to greet their carriage when they arrived a few hours past sunset.

When he finally reached Takumi’s door, he was momentarily at a loss. The paneled screen didn’t offer any obvious knocking spots. Eventually he tapped purposefully on a thick middle beam of the sliding door.

“Who is it it?” Takumi’s slightly muffled voice came from the other side. He sounded preoccupied. Leo wondered what he was up to. “Come in.”

At times like this, Leo wished he were more witty and capable of coming up with some great one-liner. But instead all he managed to say after sliding open the door was “’Evening.”

There was a brief moment where Leo got a good look at Takumi, on his knees on the floor, surrounded –literally surrounded, however he’d managed it –by large sheets of paper, sprawling inky characters from the strange Hoshidan alphabet on each one. And Takumi, facing parallel the door but now with his head turned and staring wide-eyed at the man in his door, sitting in the center, dressed in some sort of casual, traditional garb that Leo always thought resembled a flowy housecoat. In his hand, an ink-tipped brush and directly in front of him, in arguably the last empty space within an arm’s reach, a blank sheet.

“You --!” Leo watched surprise turn into apprehension before finally setting on a sheepishly pleased expression. “Why…? I thought only Xander was coming.”

“You know me, I can’t resist politically fueled festivities.”

They both chuckled at this lie, lightening the mood, and Leo allowed himself to venture further into the room.

“Takumi how did you manage this?” Leo indicated Takumi’s cage of drying sheets. It reminded him of the few occasions he’d walked in on Felicia after mopping herself into a little dry spot on the floor, stranded until the floor was properly dry.

Takumi sighed and stood up, arms crossed, eyeing the papers critically. “It’s Ryouma. He wanted me to take up a new _cultural_ hobby. It think I must be missing the point though; I can finish a stack of these in like, a minute. But it’s supposed to be _art._ ”

Instead of waiting for Takumi to step out, Leo took a wide step and joined him in the center. “Can I try?”

“Err, sure.”

Leo crouched down and took the thick brush from the pot of ink. With his most elaborate script he scrawled his name, filling up as much of the page as possible with the three letters. Daintily he picked up the sheet from the top corners and held it out to Takumi, who took it questionably. Small wet ink droplets slid down from a few places, giving at almost eerie appearance.

“An autograph.”

“Pfft right. Come on, let’s step out of here. I had a pot of tea brought up a little while ago. Hopefully it’s still hot.”

Following him out of the barrier of sheets, Leo sat next to him at his low table in the corner of his room, cushion separating his bottom from the shiny wooden floor. Aside from the art project in the center of the room, Takumi’s room was surprisingly clean. Hoshidan decorations appeared to be minimal. It wasn’t the first time Leo was in Takumi’s room, but it was the first time he found himself desperately looking anywhere but his friend pouring the tea, trying to not wonder too hard at the slight blush tainting his friend’s cheeks underneath the hair that had slipped out of his ponytail.

Takumi pushed a steaming ceramic cup in his direction. “So why _are_ you here?”

Leo wrinkled his nose at his cup. “I don’t like green tea.”

Takumi arched an eyebrow. “You came all the way here to confess you don’t like green tea? Well I’ll be honest I don’t care, I don’t make the rules. When you’re in Hoshido you drink green tea. That’s just how it goes.”

If nothing else, Leo was glad they weren’t acting overly formal. In the first few drafts of the letter he never actually wrote, he had reverted back to the overly formal mannerisms they’d used when the war first started. Those sheets were crumpled with dismay –they sounded false. Fake. However it was all too often when they wouldn’t see each other for some time only to be pushed back to that state, if even just temporarily. Leo mused that perhaps there were some experiences, like drunkenly dancing together in one’s bedroom, which people can’t backtrack from.

“Umm…” Leo realized then that he didn’t actually know what he’d come to say. Ironically, that was part of the problem considering he couldn’t string enough words together to send a proper letter.

From his periphery, Leo noticed Takumi’s expression drop like a stone. “Unless… Oh. I’m so stupid.”

Leo was alarmed at the sincerity behind this otherwise somewhat common self-depreciation from Takumi. Instead of making a joke of the situation, Leo replied, equally serious, “What are you talking about? Of course you’re not.”

It was Takumi who was now avoiding eye contact, glaring sternly at his cup on the table. “You’ve come to take back what you said that night. Of course you have…  how could I think… of course you didn’t mean any of it. What a sad fool I am--”

Alarmed, Leo spoke up. “No! Can you just –can you relax for two seconds and let me finish?” Getting the intended reaction, Takumi had stopped babbling. With a flutter Leo realized this pocket of silence he’d made was now intended for him to elaborate. “I meant every word. I was tipsy, perhaps, but not untruthful.” If Leo would have tried to speak more quietly it would have come out a whisper. With dismay he realized he was essentially confessing a second time –this time without the aid of any alcohol to smooth things over. “I have feelings. For you.”

Hoping there was perhaps some poison in the tea Takumi had poured him, Leo downed the hot liquid in one burning gulp. The only condolence to the equally burning embarrassment was that, perhaps, this _was_ the reason he’d come all the way to Hoshido. He’d imagined the matter being brushed under the rug more subtly however. He’d somehow forgotten that with Takumi there was very rarely any subtlety.

When Leo was finally able to bring himself to look back at his friend the fiery emotion was gone from his brown eyes, leaving Takumi looking oddly meek.

Leo felt like he was still responsible for filling the silence. “…It doesn’t have to mean anything.” He tried shrugging away some of the lingering tension. “I just want to make sure we’re still okay. Friends. Or whatever. That’s why I’m here.”

“…So you didn’t get my letter?”

Seeing this as a welcome diversion from the previous topic, Leo replied, “I received no letter. It was the lack thereof that had me concerned in fact. I’d thought I’d be the better man and break the silence.”

He scoffed. “I’ll have you know I _did_ write a letter. Erm, this morning.”

“Takumi, how could you possibly think a letter sent this morning would arrive in Nohr in time for me to receive it, read it, and still make the trip all the way to Hoshido?”

Takumi ignored the question and asked his own, “Do you want to come hunting with me tomorrow?”

 

 

As it turned out, “tomorrow” meant before sunrise. Leo managed to stumble out of bed (luckily the beds in Hoshido were nearly directly on the floor), get dressed and make it halfway down the hall to meet Takumi before being laughed at and being instructed to go back and change.

“Why do Nohrians have so many metal bits on their outfits? It’s not even armour at that point they’re just… _accessories_. Jangly accessories which would sound like an alarm bell to any animal within earshot.”

Takumi was sitting outside his door as Leo tried to figure out the pile of clothes he’d been given. “At least our clothes have the decency to have proper straps and seams,” Leo replied as he tried to figure out if what he was looking at was indeed an arm hole and figure out where exactly his head was supposed to go. “Sometimes I feel like the people of Hoshido are just wearing intricately folded blankets…”

Takumi tried, poorly, to hide a laugh. “Do you need help? That’s an old set of Ryouma’s –I think anything of mine would be too small… why is everything in Nohr so _big_?”

For some reason this statement flustered Leo and he was glad he had the few moments spent putting on the soft-soled shoes to compose himself.

“You’re awfully chipper this morning,” Leo stated as he slid open his door and joined his friend in the hallway.

Takumi shrugged and began walking. “I like hunting.”

They slid out of the castle and walked the grounds, only the brush of the grass from their steps making any sound. Leo tried not to think about how comfortable his bed had felt that morning…

“Is their hunting in Nohr?”

“Obviously.”

They were at a little wooden shack near the tree-line. Takumi undid a lock and pushed open the creaky door. “…You know what I meant.”

Leo stood outside as he heard Takumi shuffling about inside. “Yeah there’s some pretty good sport hunting. Although we usually do it atop of horseback and bring dogs. I can’t say I ever took a particular fondness to it myself… but I’ve been told we have some of the best and largest trophy hunting up in the north.”

Suddenly Takumi was spraying him with something. Leo sputtered. “Wha-what was that?”

“Deer piss.” Setting the bottle down, Takumi now held out two bows. “Iron? Or can you wield steel?”

Still recovering and mildly horrified, Leo silently took the steel bow held in Takumi’s outstretched arm. The opportunity to turn back had come and gone long ago. “Should I assume we’re trying to catch a deer then?”

Takumi locked the little shed. Strapped to his own back was the Fujin Yumi. “We’re catching dinner for tonight, so I thought a deer would be appropriate –although if we see a boar that would also be pretty good. If we aren’t so lucky after a few hours we’ll just try to bag a couple of pheasants, although our forest is kept pretty well stocked so I doubt finding something big will be an issue.” Takumi clapped him hard on the back. “And don’t look so glum! This is supposed to be fun.”

Leo followed him into the woods.

It was not nearly as cold as Nohr during this time of year but it was still chilly, although the sun was finally high enough to start shining through some of the interspersed trunks. Their breath was coming out in little white clouds of condensation and Leo almost wished his borrowed outfit had come with a pair of gloves.

Thankfully hunting meant talking was off the list. Not that Leo didn’t enjoy speaking with Takumi, but his mind had been racing that night trying to make sense of their conversation and he was, regrettably, not able to get much sleep. Leo was well aware that he was cranky and doubted he would make a good conversation partner for a few hours more at least.

Which left him with plenty of time to trail a few steps behind Takumi and observe the beautiful scenery. The mixed forest paired with the time of year meant there was the whole spectrum of colours to view in the foliage; yellows, reds, and still some green from a few stubborn trees. In Nohr, most the trees were either already bare or were covered in needles.

Takumi shot him another look over his shoulder as a stick snapped under Leo’s foot. As if he hadn’t understood the first four times, Takumi raised a finger to his lips. Leo honestly didn’t understand how he was expected to avoid _sticks_ , although admittedly Takumi seemed to be doing a pretty good job. It was quite a transformation –Takumi, usually loud and catty, among other adjectives, slipping gracefully amongst the trees. Leo didn’t recall noticing this aspect of him during the war, but then again the circumstances had been a little different back then.

The next time Takumi stopped to give him a look Leo raised his arms in exasperation, certain he hadn’t stepped on any sticks or kicked any stones this time. But then Takumi grinned and shook his head, instead pointing excitedly down at the ground. It was… oh.

Deer droppings.

Still grinning, Takumi gestured for Leo to take his bow out of its holster as he did the same with the Fujin Yumi. Leo did, although he intended to let Takumi do all the shooting. Leo felt remarkably out of his element, standing in borrowed clothes, wielding a bow and pretending to be excited about animal excrement. It was the sort of activity he would have only begrudgingly agreed to before; it would appear distance had made him somehow sentimental.

Leo again became so entranced with watching his own feet for some time that he didn’t notice Takumi had stopped until he’d walked softly right into his back.

 _Sorry_ , he mouthed, but then looked to where Takumi was pointing. There, 90 meters or so in the distance and surprisingly well camouflaged was a small doe, munching timidly on the grass at the base of the trees. It seemed completely unaware of their presence. 

Leo smiled in earnest now –this was much better than the droppings --and looked back at his friend, wondering if he’d try taking a shot from here. That would be an impressive hit.

Seeming to get what his look was suggesting, Takumi smiled back and shook his head. He tapped Leo’s elbow, then notched an arrow into his own bow. It looked like they were going to start creeping up slowly, in position to take the shot.

Leo, although not nearly as graceful as Takumi had been, also readied an arrow (although he still fully intended to leave Takumi the shot) and inched forward behind his friend.

By the time they’d halved the distance between them and the deer, Leo’s arms were burning from keeping them raised. He’d never hunted an animal like this, and was amazed the animal still seemed oblivious. A few times it seemed to be idly looking in their exact direction and he’d held his breath, but never did the animal dart away.

 _It must be the piss_ , Leo thought.

Takumi moved so silently Leo didn’t notice him hovering right behind him until he felt his hands adjusting his arms. It took a moment for Leo to realize Takumi was fixing his stance, his own Fujin Yumi resting on the ground.

Internally Leo panicked. He highly doubted he’d be able to make a shot as far as 45 meters, and when he missed the deer would dart and Takumi wouldn’t even be in position to take a shot himself. It didn’t help that Takumi’s breath was tickling his earlobe and was very much in his personal space. Leo didn’t even know how to communicate that, _no, he could not make this shot_ , without risking revealing them both.

So instead he set his jaw and allowed his limbs be minutely adjusted. Admittedly, it did look like now he was positioned for an ideal shot –the arrow should fly between the trunks of two large trees, fly a foot or so away from a sapling and get the deer directly in its shoulder and hopefully pierce the heart.

He felt the heat from Takumi’s body drift away as he pulled himself slightly away. From somewhere to his left he heard Takumi whisper “shoot”, so Leo released his string and allowed his arrow to fly.

As fast as he could process it, Leo saw his arrow miss, flying a few inches in front of the animal’s chest, but then be immediately struck by two arrows almost simultaneously –one directly where he’d been aiming, and the other in the animal’s eye.

It dropped like a sack of flour, as did Leo’s arms now that he could finally relax.

“Whooohoo!” Takumi’s yell was both startling and refreshing after over two hours of silence. Like a kid let loose in a toy store, he bounded over to his kill, not caring anymore about snapping branches or twigs in the process.

“You did it! You killed it, Leo!”

 _Huh?_ “Nah that one in the heart is yours. I saw my arrow miss.” Leo wasn’t even disappointed; he’d never intended to be the one to make the kill anyways.

Takumi was still skipping about excitedly. “Nooo, only the one in the eye was me. Insurance, in case you missed.” Suddenly he turned around and began looking around his feet at the ground. By the time Leo had walked over to the animal, Takumi stood up straight, holding an arrow proudly in his hand.

“See? Blue ring. Mine. My second arrow was the one that missed.”

Leo was puzzled. It was true, his arrows were marked with red rings, and the arrow still protruding from the animal’s shoulder was marked with red. But…

“There’s no way. The arrows must have been mixed up or something. I saw my arrow fly right in front of it—“

“Leo, so modest! It must be because you know about our unwritten rule here in Hoshido.”

“And what’s that?”

“Whoever kills the deer gets to carry it back.”

Leo looked disdainfully at the corpse on the ground, bright red blood oozing lazily from its wounds, and wondered how he’d managed to fall in love with this man in particular.

 

 

The reception that evening was just as boring as Leo had expected. Takumi seemed to be on a mission to get Leo to try every single one of the hors d'oeuvres; polite introductions and exchanges with the various agricultural tycoons were punctuated by Takumi, pointedly handing him some new oddity at the end of a toothpick for him to try.

Dinner had their venison as the main dish, with a variety of fresh-tasting Hoshidan sides to compliment the meat. When Ryouma had tried to give Takumi credit for the hunt as it was laid on the table, he had adamantly (and loudly) denied his part and instead credited Leo on the kill. This was overheard by the  head of the syndicate at the other end of the table, a tiny, elderly man with leathery hands whose enthusiasm for this news only made Leo feel even less comfortable with the attention.

“What a perfect segue to the reason we’re all here today –to cement our new partnership with Hoshido’s new allies to the West, the Kingdom of Nohr!” The little man could certainly give a speech –they were lucky most of the Hoshidan food was supposed to be eaten cold anyways.

Leo kept trying to deliver Takumi a subtle look of annoyance for the unwanted attention he’d bestowed but Takumi, looking smug, managed to casually avoid his eyes the entire meal.

“So how’d you do it?”

After the meal everyone was allowed to mingle again around the large banquet hall, similar to before dinner except this time Leo had suspicions that a band was going to brought in to supply music. Hinata, looking vaguely out-of-place in Hoshidan formal attire, had joined him as he nibbled on a slice of cake by the back wall.

“Do what?”

“Oh man, where to start? How’d you convince Takumi let you go hunting with him? How did you manage to get an arrow into an animal before he did? I should also commend you for not _killing him_ in the woods –he gets rather… anal when he’s out hunting.”

Leo, recalling how Takumi had personally invited him the night before and had delicately helped him line up the shot (which he was still pretty sure he managed to miss), wasn’t sure how to address Hinata’s questions.

“I take it your experiences hunting with the Prince have been few, unpleasant, and without reward?”

Hinata gave a hearty chuckle. “Yep, you got me! Takumi would rather eat pinecones than have anyone with him when he hunts. Not that he’s a piece of sunshine anyways –I swear he almost decided to turn his arrows on _me_ when I sneezed! But I couldn’t help it, obviously!” There was something about Hinata that always reminded Leo of Odin, and with a pang Leo realized just how much he missed his mysteriously departed retainer.

“But most of all, Takumi _never_ lets someone else make the shot. No sir. You must be Prince Leo, Bringer of Miracles.”

As if summoned, Takumi appeared beside his retainer, two small cups on something steaming in his hands. “Please don’t stroke his ego, Hinata. I think he’s got enough without you giving him titles.” This was said with an easy smile, and finally meeting his eye, Leo found he could no longer deliver his look of discontent  he’d been saving.

“Lord Takumi, bringing out the sake in time for dancing?” Hinata waggled his eyebrows.

Takumi scoffed. “Not me. You can have all the farmers’ wives to yourself.”

Looking a bit dejected, Hinata waved them off and made his way back to the dessert table.

“He wouldn’t actually… Oboro would kill him.”

“’Sock-eh?”

Takumi handed him a small porcelain cup. “Payback for our last gettogether. Only one this time though.” Takumi winked at him and Leo wondered what alternate universe he’d been transported to this time. “Want to go hide on the balcony? Unless you want to dance with my sister –I’m pretty sure she’s been eyeing you all night.”

Leo thought he’d been receiving some strange looks from the other members of the royal family during dinner but Leo didn’t think much of it. “Takumi, Sakura could ask me to kill a kitten in cold blood and I’d probably do it. She’s like Elise that way.”

The balcony was relatively small and completely empty. One step outside and Leo knew why; the fall air so late into the night was bitterly cold. He adjusted his high collar and joined Takumi at the railing, taking a hot sip of his drink on the way.

“So are you enjoying yourself, Prince Leo?”

Leo scowled lightly at the title, but it was clear from Takumi’s smirk that he was only joking.

“It could have been better had not the entire table thought I’d somehow surpassed their resident Prince in bowhunting.”

“It was quite impressive.”

Leo playfully knocked into his shoulder, causing Takumi to spill some of his drink down into the darkness below.

“Really though, why’d you do that? _You’re_ the one who likes attention.”

“Huh? I do not!”

Leo took another sip and shrugged.

“… to keep my options open.”

“Takumi that doesn’t make sense.”

Takumi took another sip before apparently deciding he’d had enough and tipped his cup, watching the rest pour over the railing. It was probably for the best –Takumi revealed himself to be a horrendous light-weight and Leo could tell this stuff wasn’t as light as his friend’s reaction to Nohrian whiskey would have suggested.

“I’m trying to be cryptic and mysterious. I’m just not as good at it as you.”

Leo smiled incredulously. “You think I’m mysterious?”

It was Takumi’s turn to bump into Leo’s shoulder as he was about to take his final sip, causing warm liquid to spill onto his chin and collar.

“Very.” Takumi lifted the fabric near his neck to imitate a high collar, and spoke in an imitation, _“I, Prince Leo, speak vaguely and indirectly about many things!”_

“I’m not vague!” Leo said, wiping his face with one of his sleeves.

“And _I_ don’t like attention.”

They laughed.

Takumi leaned in slightly, and Leo froze, a laugh getting caught in his throat. But in the next moment Takumi had pulled away, still grinning merrily. “You smell like a drunk.”

Leo let out a breath he must have been holding. “Perhaps a sign I should resign from the festivities?”

Takumi looked behind them at the party going on inside, muffled orchestral music now audible through the doors. “Looking for a way out, are we? I’m afraid you’ll never make it through that minefield without being pulled into half a dozen political discussions and at least two obligatory dances.”

 Leo sighed dramatically. “I guess I’m resigned to freeze out here on the balcony then.”

“That’s what you think…” Takumi followed the perimeter of the railing until it joined with the outer castle wall, then appeared to flick something on the underside of the railing, the hidden piece swung out like a gate. “I’ll walk you to your room. You can thank me, gratuitously, on the walk there.”

“My my,” Leo said, walking to the hidden gate. Takumi was already halfway down a little ladder to a dark platform below. “I guess Castle Shirasagi is cooler than I gave it credit for.”

Shutting the latch behind him, he followed Takumi down into the darkness. Wishing he had a tome to provide some light, he instead grasped lightly at the abundant fabric on the back of Takumi’s garment and allowed him to lead. Leo was momentarily reminded of one of the few memories he had of his mother; him clutching her skirt tightly and hiding shyly behind her from strange men he didn’t know.

The outside platform only went a short distance, before a small set of steps and another hidden entrance led them into one of the dark hallways inside the castle itself.

Something about the dark, muffled atmosphere seemed to finally push Leo to ask what had been on his mind since the previous night. “So… I take it we are again on good terms?” Leo knew it probably went without saying at this point, but he needed some sort of closure; who knew how long it would be until they got to speak in person again? Besides, he felt he deserved something after the ordeals he’d went to getting to this point. “Friends or whatever? Sending letters and all that friendly business?”

Without stopping Takumi replied, “We’re almost at your room.” They were back in the well-lit regular hallways, but Leo found himself still clutching onto Takumi’s back.

“Takumi, I swear to god, if you make me bring this up one more time—“

They turned a corner and suddenly Leo recognized where they were. They were right outside his door.

Leo stood motionless in surprise for a few seconds.

“Could you, uh, let go of me?”

Blushing, Leo released his grip instantly, feeling foolish. Takumi turned to face him, cheeks also dusted pink. Takumi awkwardly put a hand on his shoulder.

“Look, just… read that letter when you get home, okay? I think… of course we’re friends Leo, you boob!” He removed his hand.

Leo smiled, ignoring the stupid dull pang he got as the word ‘friend’ echoed in his chest. _What did you honestly expect him to call you?_ “Glad to see we’re on name-calling basis again.”

“Yeah well…” Takumi looked down at his feet. “Anyways, I think I’m going to sneak off to bed myself. It was… really nice seeing you again. Make sure to sleep. Well. Sleep well.” He brought a hand to his face and turned around abruptly, beginning to make his way down the hall.

“Goodnight Takumi.”

They were leaving early the next morning, and Leo wasn’t sure when he’d see his friend again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL after 6 months it looks like I've decided to update Frivolities and make it into a series! I feel like you can probably get a grasp of what's going on without reading part 1 but hell, part 1 is a lot of fun so of course I'd recommend it.
> 
> I feel like the fandom has settled down considerably since the summer so at this point, any kudos or comments are appreciated! I'm going to try and post the next chapter (containing Takumi's letter ohohoho) sometime before the end of December so stay tuned!


	2. Correspondences

“Takumi seemed rather pleased to see you.”

The sound of the wheels rattling along the gravel path on their way back to Nohr, along with Peri’s irregular snores, were the only sounds keeping Leo and his brother company that morning. Xander’s statement caught Leo, leaning his head against the carriage window, a little off guard after riding so long in comfortable silence.

“…yes, I suppose he was.”

“Apparently the Prince also has a tendency to hide away during such events, so Ryouma was happy that you seemed to give him a reason to show himself and mingle.”

Leo made a non-committal sound, wondering where this was going.

“You two have grown quite close, haven’t you?”

Leo felt his jaw reflexively tense. “Brother, is there something you wish to say?” For all Takumi claimed him being vague, Leo couldn’t stand roundabout conversations and indirect comments. Perhaps that’s why he enjoyed the other Prince and his usual forwardness.

Leo had no intentions of involving his friend in any way with his own family drama.

Xander, like Leo’s other siblings, were aware of his… sexual preferences. Not that Leo ever made a show of it –quite the opposite in fact. Leo had tried avoiding romantic relationships altogether. But maybe that’s what gave him away. Homosexual relationships were allowed in Nohr, although they came with a certain level of polite discretion. A person of high-status would likely never be open about it enough to formally marry. A Nohrian Prince or Princess was no exception.

A prideful man intent on keeping his lineage intact, Leo knew that, had Garon survived, he would have eventually been bargained off in a political marriage. With a woman, of course.

Leo couldn’t keep himself a secret from his father any better than he had his siblings. He knew what Garon called him behind his back. Yet openly humiliating and disgracing his son would have been too kind for Garon; the king had managed to find other ways to break him.

Leo forced himself to relax his muscles, momentarily forcing his mind focus on nothing except the rolling countryside outside the window. Now wasn’t the time for those memories. Garon was gone now.

Thankfully Xander was nothing like his father. Leo knew he would be allowed to live the comfortable life of a scholar. Xander would never oblige him to marry.

Xander looked at him a moment longer, before averting his eyes and replying, “No.”

Trying to brighten the mood as well as his own thoughts, Leo said, “I heard you danced with Princess Sakura.”

Xander sighed and chuckled lightly in response. “I’m afraid I terrified her –her hands trembled for half the song. Am I really so intimidating?”

Leo smiled lightly at his own faint reflection in the window pane. “Not at all…”

 

 

_Dearest Prince Leo,_

_Please accept my deepest sarcasm in my opening salutation as I have not heard from you since our encounter at your brother’s coronation. I have decided to be the bigger man and both break our mutual silence as well as apologize for my behavior the morning thereafter. Although my excuse was partially truthful –I was feeling slightly unwell –it was rather inconsiderate of me to hide away in my room until my family’s departure. In my current state of clear-headed sincerity, I should add that I was feeling embarrassed about our escapade from the previous evening which certainly contributed to my scarcity for the remainder of my visit._

_In regards to that, I couldn’t help but wondering if perhaps the reason you’ve been so quiet is because you’re also embarrassed? Well… don’t be. You are still my closest friend and it would be ridiculous for something like this to shake our hard-fought friendship. In retrospect I am very flattered by everything you said and hangover aside I will sheepishly admit that I quite… enjoyed myself. A written correspondence is probably not the appropriate place to elaborate, so I will end with something else instead. Know that I do not have regrets so long as you are also without._

_You did quite a lot of the talking when we were last together so I will indulge you with this silly story from my youth. For whatever reason, it seems to be a favourite that my older siblings like to share with people we are well acquainted with. I’m assuming their intent it to embarrass me but perhaps that’s just me being paranoid (as I often am). That being said I hope such stories are a family ritual also prevalent in Nohr and I will one day hear whispers of your own youthful innocence._

_Being only four or five years old, I haven’t the slightest remembrance of how the topic came up, but at some point, walking home from an outing, my brother and sister began speaking of marriage. Me, sitting innocently upon Ryouma’s shoulders and still quite excited from my first few archery lessons exclaimed (quite seriously, apparently)_ “I will NOT marry ANYONE unless they first take me hunting in the woods.” _As it was nearly meal-time, so my brother replied_ “Why? So you can shoot something to bring us all for supper?” _Being a child I clearly missed his quip and responded quite soberly_ “No. THEY gotta kill something. Or else they aren’t allowed to marry me at all!” _To this day I still don’t understand Ryouma and Hinoka’s obsession with this tale, but you can bet every time I brought over a new friend to play with they would always ask_ “So what are they shooting us for supper?”

_Anyways, the hunting in Hoshido is really great in the fall. If you can find an excuse to come visit I would love to take you hunting._

_Love,_

_Takumi_

 

 

_Silly Prince Takumi,_

_Be careful what you write –some might read your letter and assume you were courting me._

_Haha…_

_(Excuse my choppy response but the last time we spoke you called me both a friend and a boob, so I’m not exactly sure how I should be interpreting your letter, charming as it is.)_

_Unfortunately the topic of marriage has never been a particularly pleasant one for my family nor myself in particular. The fact that your family seemed to take your joke with the deer in light spirits (it now explains the funny looks I was receiving –thanks for that) exemplifies the differences between our families. It’s grim, but I can elaborate in person if you wish._

_I know we just saw each other, but is there any way I could convince you to make a visit to Nohr in a month’s time for Camilla’s birthday? I believe everyone, especially myself, would be delighted. My sister always claims to want nothing for her birthday, but then when little is arranged she sulks about it for weeks. Remember those “fireworks” that Hoshido supplied for the celebrations after the war? Do you think –assuming you can make the trip --you would be ably to supply us with some? I know Camilla was quite entranced by them, and although you’ve explained to me the mechanics of it, I would love to see them up close in action myself._

_Please extend the  birthday invitation to anyone else interested. The castle is quite bleak in the fall and I think company is the best remedy._

_I also have another contraption of my own I’d like to show you. It’s something few others at the castle seem terribly interested in but I suspect you’d share my excitement. I’m going to keep it a surprise until you visit, just to annoy you. I promise it’s just as novel as the gramophone._

_Your Boob,_

_Leo_

 

Leo hesitated a moment before folding his letter and putting it carefully into an envelope. He knew now why Takumi had urged him to go home and read the letter. Takumi rarely wrote between the lines and this was no exception, yet Leo had found himself reading and rereading the letter multiple times, ensuring he hadn’t misunderstood the implication.

Still, Leo found himself replying as if the whole thing was a farce. Because, really, what else could he do? Especially in written ink. He’d been at least partially serious in his warning; what might be said between two people was between themselves but a letter could theoretically be read by anyone. Leo had even considered putting Takumi’s letter into the small fire a few paces away on the other side of his bedroom instead of the little box he had with all his previous correspondences, but sentimentality won out in the end.

Two Princes couldn’t be romantically involved. Surely Takumi understood this? Then what did he possibly hope to accomplish from this grand hunting act he’d had put on, aside from discreetly alerting all his family members of his interest?

_His interest._

Leo blushed, although no one was in his room to see it.

When Leo had inadvertently confessed the first time, under the influence of alcohol and obviously not thinking clearly, never did he expect Takumi to encourage his advances.

Leo called for Niles to bring his letter, now stamped with his seal, downstairs with the rest of the mail scheduled to be sent out with tomorrow’s post.

Despite his logical and cautious stream of thought, Leo couldn’t help but be excited for the next visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter! Expect all the future chapters to be about as long as the first one. Unfortunately, that means it will take me a bit more time to update than it did for this one
> 
> Please tell me what you think with comments and kudos!


	3. Camilla's Birthday Celebration

The last batch of fireworks went off with an even more explosive bang than the previous rounds, although by this point it was only their brightness which allowed them to look so vibrant through the remnant smoke from the earlier blasts. Once the echoes of the last big pop finally died out, Leo and Takumi, standing among the corpses of the fireworks; the used fuses, structure boxes and now-empty tubes were allowed a few seconds to bask in their handiwork.

They’d spend a large portion of the afternoon using what sunlight was available to set up the show on the parapets; a large portion of the circular space had been covered in the neat little boxes with the fuses traveling in careful paths to other regions along the circumference where Leo and Takumi could set them off. The whole thing took hours to prepare, but the show itself lasted only 10 minutes.

Leo clapped his friend on the back, him wearing a self-satisfied expression which matched Leo’s. “Well it looks like you planned this all perfectly –not a single one flew into the castle walls!”

“So I guess that means Hoshido and Nohr are still on terms of peace?” Takumi asked sarcastically.

“Apparently. Although it would have finally given us a reason to renovate this dreary castle…”

The two of them had complained plenty while they were setting up, but they knew it was just a farce. They could have easily gotten help from retainers or other castle servants to assist them, but they liked the time alone it gave them. Plus, Leo didn’t want to just see fireworks, he wanted to see how they _worked_. He was still fascinated by the explosive powder they contained and would definitely plan to do more research on that in his own free time.

Of course not only did this allow Leo and Takumi some time to themselves, but it allowed them to escape Elise’s unrelenting birthday schedule. Even though it was only Takumi and Sakura from Hoshido who were able to attend, her enthusiasm more than made up for the missing royals. A stranger would have assumed it was her birthday and not Camilla’s, who was taking the whole fiasco with grace. So escaping another round of cards and an assortment of dusty board games, Leo and Takumi had excused themselves to set up the surprise. It was too dark now to see any figures on the bridge below, within the inner region of the battlements, but even if Niles and Sakura hadn’t been able to coax everyone outside, no doubt the explosive sounds would have drawn people out.

“So do we need to clean this up tonight or…”

Takumi had been complaining about the cold intermittently all afternoon, and even Leo’s thickest scarf and set of gloves could not seem to pacify the other prince. Their spatterings of casual conversation were punctuated with Takumi’s complaints on the cold, as if Leo himself was in control of the climate.

“I’ll get someone to take care of it. Let’s get inside before my favourite archer loses his fingers.”

 

 

As expected, Camilla positively gushed when she saw the two of them, so pleased she was with the birthday surprise. It made Leo glad they’d decided to set the show off themselves; he wasn’t sure if he could take more than a few minutes of the unnecessary praise. Takumi however, once he survived one of Camilla’s skull-crushing hugs (as most men where, Takumi’s head happened to be at breast-level and he came out of it completely red-faced) seemed to soak up the sisters’ praises.

Leo smiled and rolled his eyes, making a note to tease Takumi again about his fondness for compliments.

When they finally made it to the staircase, excusing themselves from the ladies late-night tea, Takumi was yawning up the stairs.

“Tired already?”

Takumi glared at him through the corner of his eye as he finished his exaggerated yawn. “Maybe? It’s well past 10!”

“No way. You had me wake up at the ass-crack of dawn in Hoshido, so you’re obligated to return the favour during my hours.”

“Your hours? You mean the middle of the night, like some demon?” Takumi’s face spoke complaint, but he was following Leo quite willingly through the halls. For all Leo was a night owl, Takumi seemed fully functional first thing in the morning. “Hey, remember when there was that surprise attack just before sunrise, and you came out of your tent half asleep and wearing Odin’s cape?” He snickered.

“I’d forgotten, but thanks for the reminder.”

Leo tried to act casual as they entered his bedroom. There was a barely perceptible change in the dynamics of their relationship now. Understandably. But he didn’t want their respective living spaces to become off-limits or taboo.

“So you still haven’t heard from Odin, have you?”

“Nor Laslow or Selena. Camilla and Xander were understandably quite distraught.” Leo was also quite distressed, although he neglected to mention it. Things still didn’t seem quite right without his dramatic retainer.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, as I’ve mentioned before, Subaki also mysteriously disappeared around the same time. He and Selena were, like, _together_ , right? I’m sure wherever she is at least she has him around. I’m sure they’re doing okay.”

The same had been said in Takumi’s letters, but it was encouraging to hear in person none-the-less. “I agree.” Leo sat down in one of his armchairs in front of the fire (Niles must have lit it before they came upstairs) and motioned for Takumi to do the same. “I, uh, kept the books your brought from the library when you were here for the coronation.” Leo felt his face heat up when he realized how weirdly sentimental this was in retrospect. They’d been sitting, neatly stacked, on his little table for two months. He hadn’t had the heart to bring them back down to the library.

Takumi also seemed slightly embarrassed. “Oh. Uh, thanks.” He coughed forcibly as he examined the books in the stack from his own armchair. “So uh, where is Xander anyways?”

They’d kept the conversation light during the day, neither seeming to want to breach the ever-present topic of politics. But from their positions, such silence could only last so long. “He’s out in one of our northern cities on business. He’s well intentioned, but he seems to have troubles getting into the people’s good graces. I guess a literal evil monarchy-dictatorship is not so easy to forgive.”

To Takumi, the issue must have seemed bizarre. Co-operation between the royals of Hoshido and their people was always optimal. Or at least it seemed that way to a third-party observer such as Leo. But Takumi nodded understandably. “I get it. If you want my advice, I would actually suggest Xander bring along Elise.”

“Elise? My brother, bless him, has been trying his best to keep my sister out of politics.”

“That’s well-intentioned of him I’m sure, but even Ryouma, when he needs to pass difficult new laws or regulations, often brings Sakura because, honestly? The people can’t get enough of her. I think Elise has the potential to be much the same. It’s like… sugar in a bitter coffee.”

Leo smirked. “With my brother being the bitter coffee?”

Takumi smiled ruefully, only momentarily looking up from the pages he was flipping half-heartedly through. With an uncomfortable churning of his insides Leo was reminded how much this young prince meant to him, and how eerie it was to feel so disarmed by a simple smile.

As a means to distract himself, Leo quickly looked back down at his own page. He was sketching and jotting down notes from today’s fireworks session so he would remember it later.

“Speaking of mindless domestic affairs, I forgot to mention that me and Sakura need to be heading home a bit earlier than we’d originally planned. The morning after next.”

Leo frowned into his illustration. “So soon?”

Takumi sighed. “It’s Sakura, really, who’s needed back home. Yet, as I’m sure you’re all too aware, ‘my presence is needed’ as well. I’m like the pretty decorative statue that needs to be brought around because if I wasn’t then what else would I be doing?”

 _Pretty indeed._ “Having fun killing things in your woods?”

Takumi laughed in response. “At least Hinoka has her Pegasus knights to lead –not that they’re doing much fighting now of course.”

Leo was all too familiar with being brought for appearances at political events. The world was changing; the state didn’t need an entire royal family to lead them and yet an entire royal family remained.

“Have you thought of anything you would like to do? I’ve considered options myself; at least having a real role in the running of the country would mean less shadowing my brother as he does his own thing. Feeling useful does have its benefits.” He’d now finished his notes on the fireworks and was considering how he’d like to spend the next hour or so before bed. Talking to Takumi was satisfying enough for him, but he knew if he didn’t at least put on the act of doing some secondary activity it would make his friend feel awkward as he read. He picked up a book sitting on the table in front of him.

“I’ve thought, sure. But I’m not as likeable as my sister so I don’t know how much help I’d be interacting with the people directly.”

“ _I_ like you.” It had meant to be a silly offhand comment but Leo realized after he’d said it that it probably carried a different meaning now. Still, Leo would never tire at how reactionary Takumi was to most things, and took some satisfaction at seeing Takumi look suddenly very flustered.

“Can I ask a favour? Can we go into the city tomorrow?”

The opportunity had arisen, yet it appeared neither of them were in a rush to breach the elephant in the room.  

“Windmire?” Leo seldom went into the City. He had never felt welcome there, and he regretted to admit that his upbringing had left him with feelings of disdain for the common folk, especially when he’d been younger. Of course his father had always tried to scare his children with baseless fears of assassination, ransom and the like if they’d ventured out too much into the world. Ironically, all his children had seen more death within the castle walls than they would have ever been likely to see on the streets of the cities. “I don’t know how scenic the city is. I won’t pretend I’m familiar with it.”

“You don’t know the city that surrounds your own castle?”

Leo shrugged. “I didn’t say no. Sure, I’ll take you on a royal tour. To make up for you keeping me company so late tonight.”

“I thought that was for waking you up ‘at the ass-crack of dawn’?”

Leo chuckled then gave a non-committal gesture. “I’m not keeping track if you aren’t.”

 

 

Leo was confident that the other members of the castle would keep their guests happy and occupied while he allowed himself to sleep in. And yet he was still a little surprised and vaguely wary when he came down to the general living space to see Niles and Takumi chatting conspiringly over a pot of coffee. Leo looked at Niles suspiciously, wondering if there was any way Niles could embarrass him more than he’d already been embarrassed in front of Takumi over the past few months.

Probably.

“Is there enough left for me?” Leo pulled a chair up loudly to the table and sat himself down.

“Ah, milord! I was just chatting with my good friend Takumi.” Niles gave Takumi, who was looking a little self-conscious, a hearty pat on the back. “It’s been so long since I’ve had the chance to talk to this fellow archer, we had much to discuss.”

“I’m sure.” Leo poured himself a cup of coffee and tried not to think about all the incriminating things these two individuals could have shared between themselves about him.

“Oh lighten up, sleepyhead. Is it really true that coffee is the only thing that can cure Nohrian morning grouchiness?”

Niles smiled sadly in response to Takumi’s question. “’Tis. The shortage of coffee during the war was definitely the reason it took Leo so long to make friends.”

“I don’t need coffee,” Leo said bitterly, sipping his coffee.

“Haha! I agree --Leo is much better company in the evening hours.” Leo inwardly groaned as Takumi unsuspectingly said just the thing to make Niles smirk delightedly and nudge Leo in the ribs.

“Ah, _is that so?_ ”

“Niles you’re dismissed.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to accompany the two of you into the city today?”

“I do not.”

Niles got up and pushed in his chair dejectedly. “Very well. I’ll get someone in the stables to ready the horses.”

“I like him.” Takumi said, once Niles was out of earshot.

Leo was somewhat surprised. They never got along particularly well during the war. “Really?”

“He speaks highly of you. –And not just in the way of someone who is paid to do so.”

Leo felt a pang of guilt at having sent Niles away so abruptly. Admittedly, it was thoughtful of him to offer his companionship; usually Leo would request some sort of protection when heading into the city. Perhaps the coffee really was kicking in and making him sentimental. Niles knew Leo better than almost anyone else, and there wasn’t much of a doubt in Leo’s mind that the man was aware how much he valued him as a retainer –and as a friend.

Takumi watched with a look of mild horror as Leo chugged the last of his coffee. The taste had never truly grew on the Hoshidan, Leo knew. “Are you all done with breakfast?”

“—It’s nearly lunch –“

“—If so let’s head to the stables in a bit. I’ll tell you Nile’s story on the way. It’s more eventful than most.”

 

 

As Takumi fastened his final layer, Leo eyed his now shapeless friend with mock scrutiny.

“Is Takumi really hidden in there somewhere?”

Aside from the garments Leo had leant him last night, he had also given Takumi access to the outerwear closet at the stables. Leo hadn’t expected him to layer quite so vigorously. He was wearing his casual clothes with a light Hoshidan jacket, covered with a heavy down-filled Norhian coat which went to his knees, and tied about his shoulders was a thick furry wrap. This paired with his tall, fur-rimmed Hoshidan boots, Leo’s scarf and mitts and a ridiculous pom-pom adorned hat (this actually belonged to Elise, not that Leo was going to tell him) he looked quite comical –if not warm.

“Hey Leo, tell me your horse’s name again?” Leo could almost imagine the smirk behind the scarf.

“What’s Despair have to do with this?” Leo patted his black horse defensively. He heard Takumi’s muffled laughter somewhere beneath the layers. Leo had named the horse when he was 12 and apparently even more grim than he (supposedly) was today. Leo positioned himself and then got up onto his horse’s back.

“Wait! I, uh, need help.” Not surprisingly Takumi was having issuez getting on his matching horse. It was actually Camilla’s, although the mare didn’t get much nearly as much use as the other mounts since Camilla had a strong preference for her wyvern.

Leo got off and leant Takumi his shoulder, helping him get on to the horse’s back, then went back to his own horse, leading the way out of the stables and through the tunnel beneath the castle’s thick walls and into the outside.

Takumi bobbed on his horse, riding next to him. Leo couldn’t supress it any longer, and he burst into a bout of genuine laughter. “Takumi you look ridiculous.” He allowed his laughter to die off a bit before adding, “I’m almost embarrassed to be seen in public with you.”

“Yeah? Well at least I don’t look like I’m about to pillage the city and then perform some satanic ritual over the ruins.”

“What do you mean?”

“I chose the only non-black things in that closet! And you’re wearing full armour again.”

They were riding through the first real streets of Windmire. There were no buildings directly beside the shadow of castle Krakenburg, but now that they’d ridden a bit out of the way, a cobbled street was now echoing their horses steps, with large estates flanking them on either side. The rich occupied the inner and outer outskirts of the city.

Leo looked self-consciously down at his outfit. “This is just… what I wear.”

“But it also happens to be what you wear when you ride into battle with the intent to kill. Just saying.”

Leo had never thought about it like that before. Some vain part of him liked his armour; it made him look imposing, regal even. But perhaps Takumi had a point. Armour was admittedly no good for hunting, and perhaps it also didn’t benefit making a good impression on the civilians.

“Okay then, how about next time we go out somewhere, you dress me?”

“Haha. Deal.”

As they continued along the main street the density of the individual buildings increased and they encountered more people going about the streets. Some, like them, were also on horseback, and they passed a few carts, but many people seemed to go about their business bundled up on foot. Now that he was joined by a non-native, Leo became more aware of the look of poverty on many of the civilians. Of course the army had ridden through Nohrian cities and towns before, but this was the capital and they were no longer experiencing the expected shortages of war-time. Takumi’s words from before rang in his head, and he suddenly felt quite foolish for thinking his gold-trimmed armour made him look regal. It likely made him look like an ass.

Yet as they continued along, Leo occasionally pointing out and explaining various landmarks (often grim-looking statues or outdated but impressive places of worship), he noticed a subtle change about the people’s reactions. Often treated quite coldly or even fearfully by the people when he’d ridden through during his father’s reign, he was surprised to see a few smiles come his way. Listening to excited whispers, especially from the younger residents, he picked up on excited mutterings of “light-show” and “Camilla’s birthday” and even a few who were clearly surprised by the Hoshidan riding at his side (recognized as an outsider despite wearing many Nohrian clothing by his long hair).

Riding a bit closer, Takumi said, “It appears the people quite liked the fireworks last night. I suspect they aren’t used to free entertainment coming from the castle?”

“Definitely not.” Leo hadn’t considered that the fireworks would be clearly visible to the people in the city below. When he had planned the surprise for his sister, it was only her he had in mind. He realized he had inadvertently given a show to everyone within an appreciable radius to the castle.

Small crowds were now lingering on either side as they rode on. Leo was not used to this sort of attention and was wondering if he should have planned to say something. Suddenly, a small girl ran out from one of the throngs of people, looking delighted, her missing teeth showing her youth as she flashed a smile.

“Prince Leo! Prince Leo! I really really liked the lights from the castle –are you going to do more? Is it something for people’s birthdays? Oh, please tell me it is!”

An older woman, who Leo assumed was the girl’s grandmother, looked horrified that her granddaughter ran out and spoke to him directly. She gestured for the girl to join her again, but the little girl just gazed up at Leo expectantly. He became aware of this air of tension amongst the people as they waited for his response.

“They’re called ‘fireworks’ and they were indeed for my sister’s birthday.” Leo addressed the girl, but spoke loudly enough for others to hear. “They are actually a novelty from our neighbours in Hoshido.” Leo heard whispers, negative or positive he couldn’t be sure, at the mention of the other nation.

Seeing the opportunity to make a dramatic entrance, Takumi lowered his scarf and added, “If the people of Windmire enjoyed the show so much, I don’t see why I can’t make a request to deliver more fireworks for all the royals’ birthdays.” There were whispers of recognition as people realized this was not just any Hoshidan, but Prince Takumi. “What do you say?”

The people in the vicinity erupted in cheers. It would seem they were making much more of an impression than he had initially bargained for.

“Show-off,” Leo muttered lightheartedly to his friend as the continued onward, albeit more slowly than they’d been traveling initially. They were nearly in the heart of the city, and Leo was wondering if there was anything more worth showing to Takumi, although the Prince seemed to be enjoying the positive attention alone.

As they passed an area full of businesses, they were stopped on multiple occasions by people with gifts they wished to pass on to Camilla.

“Please, your highness, take these flowers to the Princess! Our treat!”

“Does the Princess like sweets? These are our finest candies –please take them!”

Leo tried to not let his shock show as he accepted the various offerings. He didn’t recall ever receiving unprompted presents from the citizens of Nohr before.

“How ‘bout we do lunch in the city today?” Takumi’s hands were now equally full with various presents.

“Here?” Leo thought it silly to eat in the city when they had professional cooks back at the castle, and he was nearly reaching his limit for attention. There was an edge of anxiety building up at the back of his mind.

“Where else?” Leo was helpless to do much else besides follow Takumi to a little eatery marked with a hanging wooden sign outside. They got off from their horses, and tied them to the designated post outside. Leo wasn’t sure if he’d ever eaten at a regular restaurant before. He felt strangely tall in the low-ceilinged establishment when he entered, following a step behind Takumi. No, he’d definitely never eaten out at a place like this before.

The owner, who must have seen them ride towards the building, was standing straight and ready for them when the entered. He seemed almost scared, a bead of sweat collecting on his brow and his smile tense beneath his moustache. “For two?”

“Could we get a spot at the back please?” Leo wasn’t sure how many more ogling eyes he could handle watching him eat.

“C-Certainly!”

They got themselves a table at the very back and were given two menus to browse. Leo hadn’t managed to work up an appetite, but Takumi seemed so enthralled by everything he didn’t have the heart to do anything but play along.

“It’s so cozy in here! How interesting; it’s almost built into the ground. So different compared to the places in Hoshido.”

“It’s to conserve heat.”

“Ah! Clever.”

Although Leo decided to order whatever, Takumi seemed to take his time choosing his meal, and the server had to come back multiple times before he’d chosen. Leo tried to remain collected, but as the meal progressed he was plagued with more and more concerns, of varying credibility. The meat pie he was eating could have easily been poisoned. There could be an ambush of outlaws waiting for them when they went to leave. Perhaps he really would be taken hostage and held at ransom –how disappointed his brother would be.

And what about _them_? How did it look for two men to be sharing a meal together in the intimate privacy of the back of a restaurant? Unfortunately these thoughts vied for Leo’s attention as he tried his best to keep up with Takumi’s excited comments during the meal.

They were finally finishing up when Takumi exclaimed, “Oh! And don’t think I’ve forgotten; you promised to show me something while I was visiting, remember?”

“I remember.”

Despite the owner’s pleas that the meal was on the house, Leo left more than the required payment on the table and braced himself for the ride home. As expected, there was somehow more people outside now, and it was a quiet relief when they’d finally made it inside the inner walls of the castle.

Leo must have actually let out a sigh, because Takumi looked at him with some concern as he hung up the last of his jackets. “Is everything alright? You’ve been quiet.”

Leo wasn’t sure where to start. “Did you know I’ve never eaten at a tavern in a city before?”

“Never? You could have said something if –“

“Of course I’m not going to say something!” Leo checked his volume before continuing, “I know it’s not… _reasonable_ to be adverse to such things. And –well, you seemed to be enjoying yourself.”

His last comment seemed to calm some of the emotion that was building on Takumi’s features. “Was it really so bad?” The question came out sounding almost hurt, although there was some defensiveness in there as well.

Leo wished Takumi would get out of the habit of constantly bringing everything into the context of himself. “It wasn’t _you_ , Takumi.” He wondered how deep he should delve into this topic. “Did you know me and my siblings were involved, in varying degrees, with multiple assassinations growing up? Assassinations of each other, to be more specific.”

He blinked in shock. “But you’re all—“

“Alive? Yes well, we were the ones who made it out unscathed. Xander and Camilla were around for the worst of it, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t raised in a somewhat hostile environment. It’s likely thanks to my ability to use Brynhildr that my father helped in my protection at all. And yet, Garon made it sound like the real dangers were those waiting for us outside his protection –out on the streets, amongst the people.”

For once, Takumi didn’t appear to have anything to say.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring down the mood. That might have been a bit… abrupt. I just felt the need to justify my behaviour a little bit.” What he was really doing, Leo realized, was sharing with Takumi some of his weaknesses. He felt exposed. But maybe better impressions really are made without armour.

“Well. Consider yourself justified. And, um, thanks for sharing that with me.”

They stood awkwardly amongst the horses for a few moments longer, neither really sure what to say or do.

“Shall we get all these gifts up to my sister? Needless to say she’ll be quite surprised.”

 

 

Camilla _was_ surprised, although not nearly as surprised as she was at the initial news that Leo had gone to Windmire for lunch. Elise was also delighted to hear that she would likely be getting fireworks for her own birthday.

“Could you take _me_ into the city next time?”

Elise’s question, asked over dessert that night, caught Leo off guard. But, thinking about what Takumi had said earlier, and looking at the big bouquet now decorating the center of the table –the rewards from the weak efforts from someone like him, he knew his sister would make a positive impact. “Of course Elise. Now I even know where a delightful candy shop is located –how does that sound?”

Leo also had a weakness for his sister that outweighed his petty anxieties. His apparent weakness was rewarded with a soft and subtly empathetic smile from Takumi. Leo’s weaknesses were multiplying.

That night, after listening to Sakura and Elise practise their instruments for a while with everybody else, he gestured for Takumi to follow him.

“You’re lucky it’s a clear night tonight. I thought your shorter-than expected visit was going to ruin this one.”

“These stairs are really upping my anticipation.”

They were climbing the circular staircase to the only place of the castle which was higher than the parapets where they’d set off the fireworks. It was a tower, open-topped to allow a clear view of the sky. At some point in the castle’s history, if offered an excellent location for archers to hit flying units, as well as a general lookout point. But for now, it offered a welcome space for Leo to practise his new hobby.

Leo opened the overhead hatch and was relieved to see everything set-up as he’d asked. He felt giddy, hoping that his friend would enjoy this as much as he did.

He was rewarded with hearing Takumi gasp. “Gods Leo, is that… a telescope?”

It was an impressive 10 feet long, and held at an angle towards the sky by a special scaffold. This design still allowed for the relatively free-motion in all directions at a central pivot point, although would only move if pushed with a fairly strong force, so as to decrease the unsteadiness during general use.

Leo couldn’t help but be delighted at his friend’s awe. Telescopes themselves weren’t a particular rarity, however most did not exceed a few feet in length. “I don’t know what kind of telescopes you’ve used in the past, but I can guarantee this one has a much larger focal point than any you’ve looked through before.” He helped Takumi through the trapdoor, then urged him to the center of the lookout space. “Go on, give it a look!”

He smiled at Leo’s rare unabashed enthusiasm. Crouching on his knees he brought the eyepiece to his face. They were lucky; there was almost no cloud cover that evening, and the moon was about halfway through its cycle –enough to observe but not so full so as to be a distraction.

“Wow Leo… this is amazing! Can we angle this thing towards the moon?”

Crouching beside Takumi, Leo re-positioned the telescope, then checked through the eyepiece, adjusting it slightly. “Here, check it out.”

Takumi took back the position in front of the telescope and peered in. “I can see mountains –and craters! How did you get your hands on something like this?”

“See, you ask the right questions. Everyone else has just asked _why_ I bothered getting such a huge eyesore.”

“I mean, I suppose that’s also a valid question.”

“A little collaboration with a spectacle-maker. Although, I’m still trying to work out ways to improve it.”

Takumi didn’t seem to be in a rush to give back the telescope, and Leo was more than happy to let him have his fun. Takumi was now adjusting it himself, to see the other astral objects.

“As to _why_ , well, I found this old book in the library a while ago.” Leo picked up the book that was left resting on a folded up blanket beside a stack of pillows. “It’s a little hokey –I don’t know if you’ve heard of the various zodiacs? But it has a lot of interesting constellations and where to find them. I use this to help me find a lot of the planets, too.”

Takumi spent a few more minutes, examining the cosmos, letting out a soft exclamation occasionally, before finally pulling away, nose red and breath coming out in white puffs. “Alright, let’s see this book then.” In the excitement he seemed to have forgotten about the chill.

Leo pulled out two of the pillows and laid them side-by-side. “Alright but let’s sit on these before our bottoms go numb. I have some blankets here too—“ Leo was momentarily stunned when he realized that Niles did not bring up two heavy blankets as requested, but one large one. Well then. “Erm, one blanket actually.” He handed it to Takumi.

Sitting down on one of the overstuffed pillows, he took the blanket from Leo and wrapped himself in it up to his chin. Then, considering for a moment, he extended one of his arms. “I guess you should join me? I don’t bite.” He laughed awkwardly.

“Ah. I guess that’s preferable to hypothermia.” Leo supposed there wasn’t any way anyone could possibly see them up here anyways. He still only allowed himself to move closer to Takumi quite gingerly, grabbing the other end of the blanket to wrap around his own shoulder. It was a few seconds before he remembered the book in his hands. “Want to help me find Sagittarius?” He flipped open to a bookmarked page.

“Sag-it-tarius. Sure. What is it?”

“A constellation. And your zodiac.”

“’The Archer!’” Takumi exclaimed, reading from the page. “Although it doesn’t really look like an archer. Or a bow.”

“Imagination, my dear.” He mentally berated himself again for his casual but not-so-casual commentary as he felt himself flush. Not that it was light enough to see. “It’s because you were born in December. The stars for this one are apparently pretty bright –you’re probably better off not using the telescope.”

“Alright. Funny pentagon… funny pentagon… What’s yours, by the way? Your zodiac thing?”

“Cancer. The crab.” Takumi just laughed. Leo pinched his cheek.

“I like it up here. It reminds me of when Hinoka used to let me sit on the roof with her when we were younger.”

Leo smiled at his friend, who was looking in the completely wrong direction for the constellation which Leo had just spotted. “I like it up here too.” He’d meant to adjust his position on the pillow slightly, but somehow his hand ended up brushing Takumi’s and Leo pulled his back as if he was burned. Takumi looked at him quizzically. So this time Leo deliberately wrapped his hand on top of his, trying to make the best of the accident. The stars overhead were suddenly overwhelming; dizzying even. Leo knew he should say something as Takumi just kept staring at him, eyes wide with repressed surprise.

“Your hand is cold,” Leo said, lamely.

“Really? You were acting like it was on fire 3 seconds ago.”

Leo closed his eyes and smiled warily. “Can you not be a smart-ass for 5 minutes? I’m trying.” Leo wasn’t sure what he was trying exactly, but knew it was taking a surprising amount of his mental and emotional fortitude.

Takumi turned his hand over beneath Leo’s so he could return the grip. He squeezed twice, playfully. “I’m sorry about our adventures in Windmire today. This is admittedly a much better date.”

Now that Takumi had leaned into his side a little bit, Leo hoped he couldn’t feel the embarrassing erratic beat of his heart. _Date._ He wondered momentarily if Takumi may have been joking, but considering they were holding hands under a shared blanket and a sky full of stars, he figured he probably wasn’t.

“We shouldn’t call them that.”

“What? Dates? Why not?”

Leo chewed his lip uncomfortably. What was “dating” if you could never expect anything out of the relationship? “Dating” was what normal people did. Normal people who could love whoever they wanted, normal people who could get married and get old and die happy. Normal wasn’t something someone like him, someone in his position, could ever hope for.

So why was he allowing himself to rest his head against this other man’s, inhaling the woodsy smell of his hair? Why was he allowing himself this cautious moment of happiness?

“Don’t be sorry about today. I think it may have done some good. For the people, and for me. I’m sorry I ended up dumping some of my past baggage on you. You would have found out eventually, but I think I could have timed it better… And you were wrong, by the way.”

“Oh?”

“You are good with people. People do like you.”

Takumi chuckled lightly. “Well, you’re not a hard act to follow. Although for the record they didn’t seem to hate you either.”

“Do you have any admirers back in Hoshido?” Despite his good intentions, his scalp prickled at the thought.

Takumi scoffed. “I have only one admirer, and I believe he’s holding my hand right now.”

“I’m serious. I want you to know that you definitely have options. I may have been the first to admit it, but I’m sure others can and do feel the same.”

“Where is this coming from? I thought I’d made myself pretty clear –I’m quite infatuated with you.” Takumi groaned and covered his face with his free hand. “I can’t believe you just made me say that.”

This shut Leo up. He couldn’t fathom why someone like Takumi, who could easily have a normal relationship, was wasting his time with someone like him. But the longer Leo allowed himself to linger in this limbo between friends and… _something else_ , the more reluctant he was to push him away.

 “I can’t find it.” Takumi’s voice interrupted the peaceful silence they’d allowed themselves to sit in.

“What?”

“Sagi-whatever. I can’t find it.”

“Oh.” Leo pointed upwards. “It’s right there.”

Takumi squinted. “Nope. I still can’t see it.”

“It’s right there!”

“There’s too many of them –they all look the same!”

 

 

They spent nearly an hour atop the tower, pointing out made-up constellations that the other one could never quite make out. There was a reluctance to leave that special space, a niggling worry that things would never feel quite that intimate again. But eventually the cold won out and they headed back to the castle.

But when Takumi walked Leo through the empty hallways and back to his room, instead of replying verbally to Leo’s “goodnight”, Takumi unexpectedly leaned in a kissed Leo softly on the lips.

The echoes of yesterdays fireworks exploded in his ears, and Leo found himself kissing him back with such vigour that when they finally pulled away, breathless, Takumi now somehow pressed against the wall, it felt almost as though Leo was the one who initiated the contact.

Shocked at his own reaction, Leo took a step back and muttered “Sorry”, ignoring the foreign timbre of his voice.

“D-don’t be. I mean, I think that’s the point. Of kissing someone I mean. To have them kiss back.” Despite the catch in his voice, Takumi’s eyes bore into his own, and Leo became painfully aware that his bedroom was just beyond the wall…

No.

Leo forced himself to grasp the ornate doorknob to his room, flashing Takumi what he hoped was a convincing attempt at a casual smile. “Until our next _not-date_ , then.”

“Right.”

When Leo finally stepped in his room, he allowed the empty feeling that accompanied the sound of his door clicking shut to replace the fire running through his veins. When Niles stepped out from the shadows Leo nearly screamed.

“Gods! Niles, what are you doing here?”

“Making sure milord got home safe.”

Irritated, Leo began asking, “If we would have come in, would you have –you know what never mind. I don’t want to know.” Leo made a mental note of checking underneath his bed before he ever brought anyone over. “I’m home. I’m safe. You can go.”

“Leo, may I speak with you as a friend?”

His stomach churned at the strangely formal request, but he replied, “Of course.”

“Where are you hoping this is going? I mean don’t get me wrong, the boy definitely needs to get laid, but can you give him what he wants? What he _actually_ wants? For once I mean that in the least sexual way possible.”

Leo just continued watching his retainer sternly, waiting for him to continue.

“Leo, I’ve told you… if you want a casual relationship, I know some people –nice guys! No strings attached, no questions, no publicity. They’d love you, I’m sure –“

“—Niles—“

“—But why allow yourself to play with this thing you can’t have? How is Takumi going to feel when he learns you’re not willing to throw away everything? He’s ruled by his heart. But I know you, Leo, you’re still controlled by your head. People are going to get hurt. You’re going to get hurt.”

Somehow hearing Niles echo what his conscience had whispered to him earlier that night made Leo feel ten times worse. But it felt silly to change his mind now. Later, perhaps. But for now he wanted to keep today, as up and down as it was, as a happy memory.

“Let me worry about his happiness, Niles. He seemed to enjoy himself today.  Thank you for your help tonight, but I’m afraid I’d rather these personal affairs remain just that –personal. Have a good evening.”

Nodding, Niles left Leo alone to his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter is so bulky and... clunky. It's a bit of a transitional chapter. Forgive Leo and his character flaws.
> 
> Please let me know what y'all are thinking. I was really struggling to make sure I kept everyone in character so let me know if I missed my mark! Also what is everyone's preference for explicit material? Yay? Nay? Should I keep it vague and T rated? Should I edge towards M and let things get a bit saucier?
> 
> ALSO also, my twitter is @chrrybubblegum (https://twitter.com/chrrybubblegum) please give me a follow? I'm lonely T_T


	4. Correspondences

The darkness in Leo’s room was so absolute, it took a few moments for him to realize he was awake and staring at what would be the ceiling. He kept his heavy curtains drawn in the winter to keep in the heat, but even if they’d been open, the Nohrian winter nights offered little light.

Seeking a comfortable position, he rolled over to the other side of his large bed. The sheets were so cold it had the opposite of the intended effect, pushing him closer to wakefulness. Shifting back to the spot still warm with his body heat somehow prompted him to consider how he’d once shared this bed with Takumi.

The thought no longer brought hints of embarrassment, but it did have Leo wondering what his friend –or _whatever_ –might be up to. A silly question considering it was likely close to 3 in morning, leaving very few possibilities. Yet it was a question he’d found himself asking multiple times over the long and dreary winter months.

The roads had been particularly perilous this season. A spike in the temperatures early in winter had resulted in an ice storm which coated all the roads and made them even more dangerous than the usual three feet of snow. Even Xander was having issues visiting the various towns and villages within Nohr for his diplomatic purposes. So of course a needless trip to Hoshido was out of the question.

Leo bunched up his comforter and wrapped it around himself in some sort of imitation of a cloak, and sat on the edge of his bed. He fidgeted a bedside lamp to life before taking cold footsteps to his writing desk on the other side of his room.

He knew he was about to write another letter he would never end up sending. It wouldn’t be the first. It happened whenever he was feeling particularly sentimental, and now there was a small stack of such letters in the hidden drawer of his desk which he’d written over the last few weeks. It was strangely therapeutic, and he’d lost some of the cautionary discretion he’d had in the fall. As a consequence, the letters were often overly personal or sickeningly saccharine. Sometimes they were both.

 

_Dear Takumi,_

_I’ve gotten into the terrible habit of waking up in the middle of the night only to think of you and your quaint little life back in Hoshido. It doesn’t help the late-night loneliness that’s typical for this time of year. Do you ever feel lonely? I suspect you must, although it’s hard to imagine such a grim feeling in your bright, cheery castle. In the past, I seldom felt lonely –bored perhaps, but not lonely. I think being surrounded by all the people during the war has changed me. Maybe you’ve changed me as well._

_I miss you. I know it’s selfish, but I hope you miss me too._

_Pardon me as I bring up our drunken escapade again, but back then I mentioned that I had been involved with women before. The gloomy atmosphere of my room during this hour is prompting me to clarify that statement a little bit._

_This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but I was never close with my father. Regrettably, I respected him, feared him even, but as I hinted the last time you were here he was not a very kind man. For reasons you can probably guess, he took note at my apparent lack of interest in women when I was in my teens and expected to be more keen on the subject. He never spoke to me outright about it (that would have been too “fatherly” of him) but he didn’t seem to mind having me overhear upsetting discussions he was having with his advisors (and_ my brother _) on the subject. Needless to say, some derogatory words were thrown about in my presumed absence before I’d even drawn any conclusions about my own disinterest in the opposite sex._

_Jump ahead to my 17 th birthday. When I returned to my chambers after a stiff dinner with my siblings and father, there was a woman inside waiting for me. She said she was a present from King Garon, or something to that nature. Mortified, I’d told her to leave, even though she’d insisted in offering her services. My father said nothing of the ordeal the next day, but the following night she was again waiting for me in my quarters, this time with fresh bruises marring her body –consequences of my hasty mistake from the previous night. My father had never taken lightly to disobedience. _

_I’ve been involved in many unsavoury things during my father’s reign during the start of the war, but for some reason it is this woman and her bruises which I find myself dwelling on during bouts of self-depreciation. I still wonder what my father was hoping to achieve. Since I’ve been enlightened to the monster he was, I think I’ve settled on the conclusion that he wasn’t hoping to change me at all –just to punish me._

_(As a bittersweet aside, I had taken responsibility for this woman and had found her better employment as apology for the harm the whole ordeal had caused her. This earned me no favours with my father, but he wasn’t any more likely to get into open arguments over “lowly whores” than he was over his son’s sexuality.)_

_A received a similar present for my 18 th birthday, although by then I was clear about what my father wished of me, and no one was beaten on my behalf. After all that had happened I’d never expected to feel anything good about sharing my bed with anyone, so I was quite surprised that things with you had felt as natural as they did. For what it’s worth, you’d managed to make me feel a little less broken that night. _

_I wonder what it'd be like to wake up at night and have you next to me. Do you still get nightmares?  I feel like there could be a mutually beneficial set-up here..._

_(That was only partially a joke. Sorry, it seems my humour is questionable after 1 AM...)_

_Sweetest Dreams,_

_Leo_

 

How ironic, a few months ago he couldn’t manage to string enough words to write a single presentable letter, yet now his feelings seemed to rush out of his pen in ways he knew he could never manage in person. And yet conversations like this one and others hiding in his drawer were better suited to be had in person.

Unfortunately, Leo hated being on the receiving end of pity. He considered himself talented, competent, _strong_ even, so the thought of others feeling bad or sorry for him was something which made him feel incredibly uncomfortable. He assumed –hoped –that he would be able to talk to Takumi about the more unpleasant things he’d experienced growing up some day. In person. Someone like him would probably understand his aversion to pity; they were both proud, after all.

He folded the crisp paper and tucked it away with the others. He would write a proper letter in the morning and confirm his family’s attendance to the Hoshido Spring Festival. April couldn’t come soon enough.

 

* * *

 

 

_Dear Takumi,_

_This horrendous season has me both sleepy and unmotivated all day yet unable to sleep at night. I’m so glad the weather is forecast to improve any day now. This time last year we’d all just vanquished Anakos and were so caught up in the celebrations that we took little notice of the weather. Maybe we should make a point of finding evil dragons to kill at the start of every winter?_

_Do you remember the day after the huge snowfall when we all spent the afternoon outside making snow forts and hitting each other with balls of snow? Your aim is merciless, even with snowballs. I don’t think winter will ever be that fun again._

_Excuse the tangent, this letter is actually just to (formally) confirm my family’s attendance to the Spring Festival.  I’m not usually big on events like this, but I think it’s already obvious you could probably talk me into almost any activity at this point. Are members of the Agricultural Syndicate going to be in attendance? I need to thank them for all the baskets of produce they’ve been sending me all winter; I suppose my attendance wasn’t such a bad idea after all. I think our cooks have almost figured out how to cook taro root._

_Please tell me what you’ve been up to. I know the thaw has already started over there –does Hoshido get any flooding during this time of year?_

_I miss you._

_Your dearest,_

_Leo_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter! I hadn't initially intended to do more letter-writing chapters, but (thankfully) I've finally figured out how I want this thing to end so, uh, this is to help get that in motion. ;;;
> 
> I hope I'm not missing any marks on Leo's personality here? And also my apologies for the sad childhood things but honestly I imagine Garon being World's Worst Father. I had this weirdly specific headcanon that I wanted to put in here somewhere. Leo has some emotional baggage, to say the least.
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments! Next chapter is going to be another monster one I think :)


	5. Sakura Festival

Leo didn’t know what to expect when he followed Takumi’s request to meet him in his room later that night, but when the door was opened and he was greeted by Oboro eyeing him critically  a tape measurer in hand, he knew this wasn’t it.

“Well? Don’t just stand there! I haven’t got all night –it’s past Hisame’s bedtime!”

Leo allowed himself to be ushered inside. Takumi was sitting on the bed, the aforementioned baby looking content at being jostled about on Takumi’s lap. This was one of the many babies who seemed to be born almost exactly 9 months after the end of the war. Strange, how that happened.

The last time Leo had been in Takumi’s room, it had been covered in inky, brushed-stroked characters on large sheets of paper. Now those all seemed to be replaced with a large assortment of very bad flower arrangements. Leo wondered if this was another hobby Takumi had been pressured into trying.

“You could have left him with Hinata –he doesn’t have any duties tonight.” Although he said this, Takumi seemed to enjoy watching the baby bounce on his knee. Considering the infant’s parents, Hisame seemed remarkably unexcited by the whole ordeal.

Feeling a strange kinship to baby Hisame at that moment, Leo let Oboro jostle him about, stretching his arms out to the side when she grabbed him by the wrist. “I’m pretty sure if I did that I’d be a grieving mother.”

“I doubt that. –Hinata did a pretty good job protecting Takumi during the war, if I recall.”

Oboro stopped what she was doing for half a second to give a small surprised smile in Leo’s direction. It lasted only a moment though, and she was soon crouched low to the ground and measuring his feet.

Trying to seem both unaffected and not at all ticklish, Leo finally asked, “So what’s going on exactly?”

There was a glint in Takumi’s eye that could be seen even from this distance. Leo suspected he’d just asked the question Takumi was waiting for.

“When we were in Nohr you said I could dress you the next time we went out. I thought it would be better for your sake if I got Oboro to volunteer in my stead. She’s our expert on this sort of thing.”

She made an appreciative humming sound as she looked Leo up and down one more time and rolled up her tape measurer.

“I’ll need to take out the sleeves a little bit –why are Nohrians so damned _big_? But that won’t take me long. The yukata will be ready to wear tomorrow.”

“ _You-cat-ah_?”

“Oh gods, _don’t speak!”_ Any softness in Oboro’s features had disappeared. Takumi just laughed as he placed the baby in her outstretched arms. “I’ll bring yours in the morning too, Takumi. It’ll be…interesting. Goodnight you two. Say goodnight Hisame!”

Hisame was obviously too young to be speaking, but Oboro waved his little hand before she left the room.

In an attempt to feel less like a mannequin, Leo walked over to the bed and sat down beside Takumi. It was the first time they were alone since his family arrived at the castle a few hours ago, and he wasn’t sure where to start.

“You’re having me wear something Hoshidan For the festival?” Their clothing had an interesting look. On Takumi they always looked lovely. He didn’t think the apparel would have the same effect on him, however.

Takumi crossed his arms defensively. “Hey, _you_ said I could decide what you wear.”

“But is it… appropriate?”

“Appropriate? What does that even –it’s clothes. People can stuff it if they don’t like it. _I’ll_ like it.”

He smirked teasingly at his companion. “You know, if you wanted to dress me up you could have done so without parading me about a festival too.”

Despite his flustered appearance, Takumi merely replied, “Noted. Although you should watch what you offer –that’s what got you into this in the first place.”

A pause. Leo smiled. “We used to do this a lot.”

“Hmm? What? Tease each other relentlessly?”

“Hang out in each others rooms late at night.”

“I-It’s not that late!” It was just a few hours after dinner, but the sun was still setting early, and the many paneled-windows in the room seemed to be reminding them that it was, at the very least, dark. “And those were _tents_ , not rooms.”

Leo considered how war had offered a pretense for a late-night visit to see a retainer or friend (or _lover_ , as some people did manage to find the time for such things). People were scared –it was an acknowledged fact, and no one would judge someone for desiring company instead of being alone to your thoughts late at night. Distractions were welcome, and Leo had spent many nights talking or playing one of their boardgames with Takumi, sometimes until dawn. Unless exhaustion hit him immediately, Leo (like many others) had difficulties drifting to sleep between battles. Takumi had a similar problem; he couldn’t manage to sleep the whole night without being woken up by terrible dreams. Apparently those were less frequent now.

“Takumi, do you ever miss the war?” There was some guilt along with this question.

Takumi chuckled sardonically. “See? –this is why no one liked Nohr. Maybe the love of battle and carnage is genetic? Or perhaps environmental; that’s my theory. Something about not seeing the sun half the year?” Leo gave him a look and Takumi relented. “No, I don’t miss the war. I miss feeling useful, maybe. I miss _you_ –when you’re in Nohr, obviously. Not now. For what it’s worth, even before _all this_ happened. Before Xander’s coronation –I missed you. But, isn’t this better? I mean, we can stay up all night playing shogi now too, and we can do so without the threat of death tomorrow.”

“Do you miss me more, now?”

“Is Prince Leo fishing for compliments? Now who’s the one who likes praise? I _like_ you more now.”

Leo figured as much, but something about the progression of events still didn’t sit well with him. “You know, liking someone just because they like you back isn’t exactly a well thought-out justification for feelings.”

“Sure it is! I think liking me is a very desirable trait. Any individual who likes me is clearly an intelligent, logical, and decent person.” Takumi was teasing him now, surely. “And hey, what about you? It’s not like you’ve shared any justification for liking me –do tell. Share the wisdom of ‘acceptable’ reasons for feelings of affection, oh wise love guru Leo.”

Leo, in fact, did have logical and well thought-out reasons for his affections. Although, as emotions tend to go, he only really figured them out after the fact. “You’ll need to beat me in shogi first.”

“A challenge?” Takumi’s eyes darted towards the shogi board beside the wall.

Takumi was both a terrible player and a terrible loser any time after sunset. A hidden weakness. Leo’s too, by the time he was doubled over in laughter and being smacked with a cushion.

Takumi did not beat Leo at shogi that night.

 

 

“There’s a different kind of tea this morning.” Takumi announced, bringing to the table a sizeable teapot. “ _Someone_ doesn’t like green tea.”

Not everyone was down from bed yet, but Takumi poured tea into little handle-less teacups for everyone who was. They employed help at the castle of course, but Leo had learned that the royal family tended to try to do things for themselves when there was company. Something about showing extra care and effort to their guests.

“Haha, Takumi, Leo doesn’t like a lot of things!” Elise said this with her usual guileless mirth, her smile still bright even at nine in the morning. Ryouma and Sakura, the only other people at the breakfast table laughed nervously. “Remember, Leo? You didn’t even used to like Takumi!”

“And I don’t blame him!” Ryouma added, cheerily. More laughter. Leo and Takumi made unamused eye-contact.

“Pass the sugar, Takumi?”

“Here you are, Leo.”

Too late to be deterred, their siblings seemed to be having fun at their expense. “Remember when they refused to speak to each other?”

Sakura added to Elise’s statement, after a small giggle. “And they would only relay messages through their retainers? Poor Oboro –I don’t think she and Niles ever did get on good terms…”

“And our brothers still kept managing to run into each other accidentally; the library, the hot springs… even Corrin’s treehouse!”

“This tea is quite good, Takumi. What is it?”

“Oolong. I’ll make sure we serve this instead of green when you’re visiting.”

“Very thoughtful.”

“Ahhh, what a beautiful morning.” Camilla, still in her pajamas and housecoat, joined them with a flourish at the table. His older sister somehow always managed to look presentable, even just after waking up. “The young princesses are giggling at their breakfast, and the young princes look like they’re conspiring to kill someone from behind their teacups! Everything is as it should be.”

Takumi, who wasn’t used to Camilla’s teasing, looked vaguely alarmed at her comment.

“We –no! It’s not –“

“Oh don’t worry, I won’t tell. As we say in Nohr, ‘murder in moderation’” This comment didn’t seem to calm Takumi. The sisters (all of them) laughed. Leo just sighed.

“Camilla, Takumi said you enjoyed the fireworks?” Ryouma asked, after taking a sip of his tea.

“Yes, they were lovely. Is their going to be some tonight?”

“Some of our festivals have fireworks, but not this one. I’m sure there’ll be lots of other things to keep you entertained though. It’s a very busy event. It’s Sakura’s favourite –why don’t you tell Camilla how it is?”

Sakura jumped in her seat at being put on the spot. “O-oh! Um, okay. Well, in town we have a square surrounded by cherry blossom trees…”

“They’re the pink ones! They’re called sakura –Just like Sakura! Isn’t that neat? I bet that was intentional.”

Sakura waited a second to make sure Elise was done speaking. “…Yes, and during the day we enjoy the petals and eat food from the stalls, play games…”

“Sakura said there’s goldfish! Camilla, can I keep one if I catch one?”

“It’ll probably die on the ride back,” Leo replied, wondering why his sister still acted like she was twelve.

“Oh… yeah, you’re probably right…”

“Princess Elise, if you’d like, you can keep a goldfish here at the castle. That way you can visit it anytime you like?”

“Perfect!”

“…and then, when it gets dark, we light up the whole area with lanterns and there are fortunes, and little plays… music too.”

“Oh wow, you didn’t tell me that!” Elise’s energy somehow made Leo feel even more tired. “Are you going to play?”

“Of course she is!” Takumi had been surprisingly quiet throughout the entire exchange. “It wouldn’t be a proper Sakura Festival otherwise!” Takumi was, as he was in most things, aggressively prideful of his little sister.

 

 

Leo scrutinized himself if the stand-up mirror Oboro had brought to Leo’s room. Takumi was already dressed, and Oboro was tapping her foot impatiently. Hisame was sitting on the floor gumming a slipper.

He wasn’t sure how to put it nicely. “It looks like I’m wearing a dress.”

“Eugh!” Oboro stepped away from the mirror, clearly exasperated. “I can’t believe this. You –Takumi, you can deal with him. You can put a Nohrian in Hoshidan clothing but…”

Leo watched in the mirror as Takumi’s face turned appropriately apologetic. “It’s okay, you can go Oboro. Thanks for everything.” Even in the reflection Leo could see her features soften slightly at this, as she picked up Hisame and left. She was probably going to get ready for the festival too –it seemed the entire city was attending.

Takumi came forward and stood next to Leo, both of them now visible in the mirror.

“I didn’t mean to make her upset…”

“Only a fool would _intend_ to make Oboro upset.”

Takumi, in his own, dark blue yukata looked stunning (although the outfit itself was quite similar to things Leo had seen him wear before). Leo considered telling him this, if even to lighten the mood a bit. His hair was done up a little differently too –an ornamental clip adorning the usual tie. His red sash (“obi”) matched Leo’s perfectly. He looked comfortable in the attire, even in the funny stilted shoes. Leo however… he felt awkward, the dark purple colour of the fabric somehow making him feel even more feminine.

(There was an unpleasant memory that was itching the edge of his consciousness, but he didn’t want to sour the afternoon. He hoped he hadn’t already.)

Takumi was eying him sternly in the mirror. Leo sighed. “I feel silly, Takumi. This is normal here, I guess, but even when I didn’t wear my armour on the ride over my entire family commented. And now… gods, my ankles feel exposed.” Since Takumi’s last visit, Leo had slowly stopped wearing his armour during day-to-day outings. This was a bit much, however.

“Leo that’s silly. I know for a fact Nohrian casual clothing has v-necks that dip almost to one’s navel.”

Leo laughed nervously. “Yeah, I guess it is, isn’t it… What _isn’t_ silly is how I can’t walk in these shoes. Like, at all.”

“It’s about time we found something you don’t excel at. You can hold my arm, if you like.”

This was said casually, but it still made Leo’s head turn to look at the real Takumi instead of the reflection.

“…It was a joke.”

It wasn’t, Leo knew. For some reason it made him feel worse.

“Look, jokes aside I’m not going to _make_ you wear it. I’m not actually a prick. But… Leo, trust me, you look fine, okay? G-great, actually. And, well, everyone is going to be wearing them! Literally everyone except your siblings. You’d stand out more without it.” He seemed to omit the fact the simply by being a Nohrian wearing Hoshidan clothes he would actually stand out more. Attention had a funny way of finding him when he was with Takumi.

When Leo didn’t look impressed, Takumi added, “One more thing…” And Leo watched in the mirror as Takumi kissed him on the cheek, then pulled back hesitantly. Leo sighed and closed his eyes, knowing he already lost.

“This level of coercion is frankly unfair and I’m calling you out on it.”

“So does that mean yes?”

“I’m not going to wear the shoes though. And you’re buying me any snacks I want.”

“Haha, all right!” He slapped Leo on the back, almost causing him to lose balance in the high shoes. “And I was going to do that anyways –you’re my _guest_ , after all.”

“ _One more thing_ ,” Leo put his hand softly on the side of Takumi’s face and pulled him in gently for another kiss. It was soft, on the lips this time, and without the distracting urgency of their previous experiences. It calmed him, actually. “You missed.”

 

 

When they finally got to the square, Leo was mesmerized not by the colours of the trees, but from the colours of all the outfits which, colours aside, matched the one he wore. Takumi had that smug face which said “I told you so” but seemed to mind his manners enough to not actually say it aloud.

Although many people gave a polite nod to Takumi as they made their way through the crowd, and a few even did a double take when they noticed Leo, he found himself not particularly bothered. Clearly the Hoshidan royal family had integrated with the city folk enough to not cause a scene like there’d been in Windmire. Not only that, but there was plenty of distractions which couldn’t leave him to be bothered thinking about how he might be looking.

Colourful paper lanterns hung by strings and small children running with sparklers despite it not being dark yet, rows and rows of stalls with energetic merchants, and so many delicious smells.

By the time they found a place to sit and view the trees, their arms were full of food; greasy, fishy smelling things, things on sticks, desserts, desserts on sticks…

“Oops, we took too long… the sun is already going down.” It was hard to take Takumi too seriously, face full of noodles.

“You know, I like the concept of the festival but really, the trees will still be here tomorrow. And next year. They’ll probably be here after we die.”

“Haha… you’re so grim.”

The petals took on more of an orange tinge in the setting sun. The other people sitting on the hills of the perimeter of the square were heading back into the festival now; the lanterns were slowly lighting up, one by one. Again, prettier than the petals.

“Alright, try this one next!” Takumi tried to hand him something else on the end of a stick. It looked –

“Takumi that literally looks like a squid on a stick. That’s where I draw the line.”

“What, so you’ll eat squid so long as it doesn’t actually look like a squid? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Where did the cheesecake go? I want to try that—“

“—That’s dessert! You can’t eat that yet!”

Leo grabbed the small, palm sized cake anyways, talking an exaggerated bite as Takumi watched, looking almost comically aghast. It was good –different than the cheesecake in Nohr. Lighter. But good.

“Oh! Leo, Takumi, hello. Isn’t the cheesecake good? It’s one of my favourites here.”

Sakura and Xander seemed to emerge from the bottom of the shallow hill.

“Your yukata is so pretty! I didn’t know you were going to dress up.” Sakura seemed genuinely pleased. His brother, two steps behind her and wearing the typical Nohrian semi-formal attire looked surprised, and didn’t seem to know what to say.

Sakura’s yukata had a soft floral pattern which complimented her hair. Her sash was a bold pink colour which stood out from the rest of her attire. Like her brother, she didn’t seem to have an issue walking in the stilted slippers.

“Thank you, Sakura. You look lovely as well.”

She smiled prettily, and Xander was quick to chime in, “Yes, she does, doesn’t she?” He seemed somehow out of place, and Leo was reminded of his own reflection in the mirror just a few hours ago.

“Shaved ice?” Takumi asked, his mouth half-full of noodles he was maneuvering out of a small cup with some chopsticks. “I don’t know how you can eat that so early in the season. Aren’t you cold?”

“Watch out, your brother is being the dessert police today.”

“Hehe. Nope. We already ate our dinner, anyways. Xander, why don’t we sit with them and finish our sweets? The trees look so nice from here…”

“How long does this last, Sakura?” Xander, finally finding his voice, seemed to be wondering the same thing Leo was.

“Usually about a week. Unless there’s a wind storm or something, then they all kind of fall off at once.”

“It actually looks quite nice when they can all fall off like that… this is nice too though.”

“Did either of you happen to spot Elise?” Leo had expected to see her along with Sakura, and was admittedly surprised when Xander was accompanying her instead.

“We saw her at the goldfish scooping tank...” Xander replied so gruffly it was almost funny.

“Are they hard to catch?”

Sakura, her lips red from the syrup on her dessert, shook her head. “Oh no. I mean, the scoops are made out of paper, but Elise seems to be trying to catch one for every kid who’s been having a hard time.”

Xander sighed dramatically.

“Oh come on brother, there are worse things she could be doing.”

“I think Elise often forgets she’s both a young woman, and a Princess who will be joining the Nohrian King on his political escapades this summer. I don’t think an evening playing children’s games is a positive step towards her reputation.”

The air shifted uncomfortably. In a brief wave of panic, Leo wondered how Xander thought he looked, dressed up and eating a candied apple. Although Xander wasn’t the best candidate to speak of reputation; he was still struggling to amend his own amongst the people. But then Leo thought of Takumi and Sakura, sitting tensely among them, and responded cooly, “I think _the King_ should eat his cheesecake and enjoy himself this evening.”

Xander looked almost affronted, for a second, but then smiled sheepishly, the faintest lines appearing at the corners of his eyes. “Ha, you’re right. My apologies everyone.”

Once the food was finished, the two princes used the excuse of the historical play to escape to themselves again. It was enjoyable, although Leo was biased in his own fondness of history, and Takumi’s frequent and opinionated asides throughout the play certainly helped (although their neighbours were less amused by their stifled laughter).

After the short show, Leo had to practically drag Takumi to the fortune stall. Leo, if he was honest, wasn’t even particularly interested in the questionable science of predicting one’s year –he just liked hearing Takumi’s half-hearted protests. A very strange thing to be fond of, but somehow complaints were foundational of Takumi’s character, and something about hearing him whine, in good-humour, could manage to bring about a wave of sentiment.

Orochi didn’t disappoint; Takumi pulled “devastating heartbreak”, whilst Leo got “everlasting love.” Orochi seemed confused when they left the tent, Leo fighting back tears of half-concealed laughter, and Takumi with his arms crossed tighly in front of him.

“Quick, lets nail this to a tree before it sticks.” Takumi had the offending roll of paper pinched between his fingers and held out in front of him like it was diseased.

“Let’s save the poor tree; give it to me. I think my fortune should, uh, neutralize it.”

“I don’t think it works like that. But how fitting of you to come up with a logical solution to something as illogical as fortunes written on strips of paper.”

Leo tucked both fortunes into the belt of his outfit.

They went by the fishing tank, but, weirdly enough, they were completely out of fish. Leo was vaguely concerned he’d return to his room that night to find a bowl with 100 goldfish and a note from Elise.

“So what do you think? Have you nearly seen enough of cliché Hoshidan festivities to leave and never come back? Or have you loved it enough to take up permanent residence?” As he asked this, Takumi was tucking a large sakura blossom into Leo’s headpiece. Not particularly masculine, but Leo allowed it, if even just to feel his calloused fingers graze his temple.

Leo chuckled and poked his friend accusingly in the chest. “Why is everything so black and white with you?”

“And why do you always avoid the question?” Takumi poked back.

“Because it bothers you.”

“—Hey!”

Just as their light-hearted bickering was getting almost nostalgic, Leo heard the unquestionable sound of his younger sister squealing (for lack of a better word), before she emerged from a group of people. So many people! Strangely, Leo seemed to have almost stop noticing the density of others tonight. He brought his hand up to the flower now in his hair self-consciously.

The sleeves of Elise nice dress shirt were damp up to the elbow, but she seemed remarkably un-phased. “Leo, so it’s true! You did dress up!”

“He sure did. It was my idea, by the way.” Takumi added, proudly.

“I’m so jealous! Takumi, next year, could I wear one too?”

“Oh, yeah…! I don’t see why not.”

Elise giggled. “Maybe we can even get big Brother in one? Hehe… Oh! Right, the music is about to start! Why are you guys hiding out here. Very suspicious. Follow me or we’re going to miss Sakura play!”

They allowed themselves to be pushed and prodded in the right direction. Only seats at the back were still available, but luckily music only needed to be heard.

Like most things, Hoshidan music sounded very different than music from Nohr. It was relaxing, although not as happy sounding as Leo was expecting. It had a strangely ominous tone to it. “Ominous” wasn’t a word he would have used to describe Hoshido, even back when they were enemies, but somehow the music still managed to fit nicely with the overall look of everything he’d seen today. Leo didn’t think one could dance to it, which is probably why less traditional pieces were played at events which dictated those kinds of activities.

After the show, they hung around to congratulate Sakura on her performance, although there was quite a crowd of admirers around her who seemed to have the same idea. Praises shared, Leo and Takumi began heading back, although they kept a little ways from the other small crowd also heading back to the castle. Leo looked back over his shoulder to see the lanterns blinking out one by one, the festival finally over.

He’d enjoyed himself immensely. The things which had given him concern earlier in the day were somehow forgotten during the event. He knew his insecurities were not gone entirely, but they were away long enough that they didn’t hinder his enjoyment that evening. He wondered if some sort of similar event could one day be arranged in Nohr? Could the dour streets of Nohr also be momentarily cheered by festivities?

Leo could sense Takumi becoming increasingly agitated as the entered the perimeter of the castle, and entered its impressive doors. By the time they reached the hallway which would have them going their separate ways, Leo was just about ready to ask him what was the matter, but Takumi was the first one to speak.

“Do you want me to walk you to your room --?” Takumi’s voice was uncharacteristically choppy. His fists too, Leo noted, were clenched at his sides. “I can walk you there. To your room.” Leo tried to read Takumi’s face, an interesting mix of emotions painted there; apprehension, anticipation and… a blush?

_Oh_. Subtleties didn’t suit Takumi. He was playing a cliché, and it took Leo a moment to catch it. The intended meaning of such an offer was better interpreted when it was said with the purring drawl of someone like Niles (who had, to Leo’s dismay, used this line before).

Leo felt his pulse quicken. He thought about what had happened last time Takumi had walked him to his bedroom door and quickly concluded that, no, this would probably not be a good idea. (Actually, it was a _great_ idea, and was certainly Takumi’s awkward intention, but Leo was trying to stop himself from falling too deep.)

“I think I can find my own way back, but thanks for the offer.” He winced at his own, overly cool response. It would seem people had different ways of dealing with nerves. He mentally berated himself when Takumi’s eyes immediately flashed with hurt; of course Takumi would take this personally. The expression was quickly covered up with an attempt of indifference.

“Right. Of course –you’ve visited a few times now. I guess you know where your room is.”

“Takumi, I—“

“What? It’s not a big deal. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t get lost.” He shrugged, for emphasis. It was a poor attempt at saving his dignity. Leo now wished his initial reply was more considerate. Leo wasn’t rejecting _him_ , but this was harder to put in words. Leo was usually better with words.

In an attempt reduce any feelings of hurt, Leo smiled and gave the other man a hug. It was a weak compromise, Leo knew, but hugs had their own sense of intimacy. Especially since Leo was not one to hug freely. “Thanks for tonight Takumi. It was fun.”

“Yeah? Yeah well… anytime. I mean, this happens every year so…” Takumi hugged him back. Takumi also rarely gave hugs.

Leo allowed himself to kiss the skin exposed between Takumi’s neck and shoulder as he pulled away. Another weak compromise, this one to calm his body’s desire to taste more of Takumi’s skin.

“Then I will gladly be here next year. Goodnight, Takumi.”

“Goodnight, Leo.”

It was difficult to not be persuaded by the poorly-hidden desire in Takumi’s eyes, but Leo managed to turn away and head back towards his room.

It had been a good day. But like many of Leo’s good days, he somehow felt like a child who had gotten away with stealing a cookie from the jar without being caught.

 

 

In the morning, the sound of a cookie jar shattering echoed in his head when a letter was delivered to him by one of the maids which read:

_Prince Leo,_

_Please meet me and King Xander in the Conference Room today at 11. There are some important things concerning your behaviour which need discussion._

_-King Ryouma_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got the next chapter done!
> 
> Thanks for all your kudos and comments guys! It seems like the mobile game has reawakened people's interest for Leo and Takumi haha.
> 
> Just as a heads up, I'm expecting this fic to be about 8 or 9 chapters long? So we're at about the halfway point! Hurrah!


	6. Correspondences

A million different explanations came to Leo’s mind after reading the letter.

Had he not been as discreet with Takumi as he’d thought? Was he about to be reprimanded – _reprimanded by the kings of both nations,_ heavens –for putting the reputations of the royal families on the line? The thought had Leo feeling embarrassed, ashamed and…  concerned? For what else could come from such a confrontation other than to distance himself from the other prince?

He’d always thought such a request would come, eventually, from Takumi himself. Not _the kings_.

Truly, he’d really let this go on too long and he was about to pay the price.  He knew that he probably deserved whatever was coming. But what about Takumi? Would he be in trouble now, too? Despite Takumi’s attitude, Leo knew Hoshido to be at least as conservative –if not more so –than Nohr in such matters. Leo realized it was more than just his own reputation on the line –his indiscretion may also put his friend in an uncomfortable position.

However if Takumi’s childhood tale was true, then since the agricultural syndicate fete in the fall Ryouma was at the very least vaguely aware of _something_. It was Takumi who had been careless that time. Ryouma had not said anything after the fact, which made this letter all the more confusing.

Leo found it harder than usual to organize his clothes that morning, and had a rekindling of the urge to don his armour. He double-checked his outfit in the mirror –not out of vanity, but out of caution so as to not walk down the hall without his trousers or something equally horrifying considering his mental state.

He would have quickly stopped by Takumi’s room to see If he might have some clues as to what this was about, but Leo knew he would still be out doing his morning exercises. It was something he still did a few times a week. Leo used to join him, when he woke up early enough for it during the war. The need to be in peak physical fitness now diminished, Leo would rather spend his mornings in bed.

When Hinoka wished him good morning in the hallway, he tried replying naturally. He must not have succeeded, since a look of concern flashed across her face as he continued walking.

As it turned out, he’d arrived at the sliding doors of the conference room just as his brother and Ryouma appeared from around the corner. His brother’s expression revealed nothing, cloaked in the usual stoic expression that was particularly prevalent before noon (he was like Leo that way). Ryouma appeared chipper, and it threw Leo off.

“Leo! Good almost-afternoon to you! If only my own brother was as punctual…” He chuckled and opened the door and gestured Leo to enter.

“Was… was Takumi supposed to be here as well?” If not for Ryouma’s behaviour, this fact would have confirmed Leo’s earlier suspicions.

Following behind the other two, Ryouma entered the little room and closed the door behind him. It was bright –the paper-like walls let in the sunshine from the surrounding halls. In the center of the room was one of the low Hoshidan tables, and four cushions –three of which were now occupied by himself, Ryouma and Xander. Leo was glad for the few distractions in the room; he was already struggling not to fidget. What did his mom used to say? “Fidget in your head, not with your hands”?

“Yes, but I’m not going to have us all wait around for him –Takumi needs to learn to grow up a bit on his own. You can tell him the good news later.”

“Good news?” Obviously this should have been a welcoming statement to Leo, however it made him feel all the more unprepared for whatever was to happen next, and feeling unprepared was not something Leo enjoyed.

“That is, if you accept. Ahh, sorry, maybe I should start at the beginning. _Someone_ –“ Ryouma clapped Xander hard on the shoulder, --was suggesting to me for a few weeks now, that you be offered the new position of Ambassador of Nohr! And assist in relations between our two countries. He made the suggestion almost begrudgingly –perhaps King Xander was reluctant to give up his brother for a few months? Or _maybe_ he was embarrassed for his own shortcomings in such diplomatic affairs? Haha!”

Ryouma looked at Leo expectantly, grin on his face. Ryouma was probably the only person who could get away with teasing his brother like that, with little more than an eye roll and a sigh in response.

“I –wow.” Leo didn’t know what to think. It seemed it was taking longer than usual for him mind to come up with an appropriate emotion to such an offer. The fact that Xander was praising him behind his back was also unexpected.

“I was skeptical –my apologies. But when I saw you at the festival I decided I couldn’t wait another day to extend the offer! Your unprompted willingness to engage in Hoshidan affairs and customs cannot be ignored.”

Xander was smiling now too, although when he spoke he sounded much more unaffected simply by comparison to the other King. “I thought you might enjoy the responsibilities. I don’t mean to be condescending, but I suspect you wish for more to do than sit around our castle with an empty title. And I realize the internal relations in Nohr will probably require more work on my behalf than I’d originally thought. I wouldn’t have very much time to spend on such affairs with our neighbours. And, well, I thought it would also give you a reason to spend more time with Takumi, whose company you seem to thoroughly enjoy.”

Leo tried to remain neutral and avoid Ryouma’s eyes, which he could feel observing him.

“So my duties would include…?” Now that the threat of having his romantic relations with Takumi exposed and subsequently terminated was over, he could try to focus on what this meeting seemed to be actually about. He was… pleased, actually. The relief was probably still clouding his judgement slightly, but such an offer could potentially fulfill many desires he’d been harbouring since the fighting had stopped.

“Attending political affairs, gaining cultural insights, doing small village outreaches… basically to take as much good from us here as you can, and hopefully use it to improve Nohr. That goes in both directions too, obviously. I can’t pretend Hoshido is perfect. Shortcomings or possible improvements this side of the border can also be brought to our attention. I think the whole thing may also help my people’s impression to our _dark neighbours_ to the west.” Ryouma winked at Xander. “So in short, you would be my ward for a few months. Longer, if it proves beneficial. And Takumi would do what he seems to already be doing and help integrate you with the population. Bring you out to the villages and –“

The door slid open loudly and violently. “I’m here!” Takumi was standing in the open space, looking sweaty and oddly defiant. “First of all, I don’t care what anyone says, me and –“

“I’ve been offered the position of ambassador!” Leo tried to ignore the squeak in his voice as he interrupted Takumi before he said something unnecessary.

“OH? Oh. Oh well… wow, great! That’s good! I thought… wow, congratulations Leo!”

 

* * *

 

 

_Dear Takumi,_

_How funny, that this will be the last time I write you from Nohr, before I head back to Hoshido with a carriage full of my things to last me the next four months._

_I know we laughed it off in private after the fact, but I’ve been thinking on it more and more lately –what would we have done if our brothers really had come to speak with us about the nature of our relationship? I’m not usually one to procrastinate, and I’m even less prone to acting thoughtlessly, but I fear I’ve been doing both for months now. When I received the letter from Ryouma, I was concerned not only for myself, but for you as well. In some strange, inebriated and round-about way it was me who started this whole confusing mess, and so I feel somewhat responsible for whatever happens next. And I know I don’t have the psychic foresight of someone like Orochi, but I know there is no way for this to end well. You know that too, don’t you?_

_I’m worried, Takumi. I never expected to fall in love. But I wonder if that’s what I’m feeling now?_

_If I was truly selfless I would break this off now. For your sake. But apparently my willpower is not as strong as I’d thought. Accepting the offer of ambassador, although a good political move for everyone involved, is a self-indulgent choice which is ultimately allowing me to further continue down this rabbit hole._

_Has Oboro forgiven me yet? This isn’t something I would share with her, but perhaps you should be aware that when I was eight years old, Garon had forced me to wear a frilly pink dress for an entire day after I’d said I never wanted to practise sword fighting again. It was probably one of the more humiliating days of my childhood. Perhaps it’s a lousy excuse, but it was immediately what I was reminded of when I saw myself in that mirror._

_Thankfully, the festival activities were so enjoyable that I think that is another one of my memories which has been cleansed (if not forgotten) thanks to you. If the whole Prince of Hoshido thing doesn’t work for you, you should look into therapy –you seem to have a natural talent for it._

_(my bad humour, again)_

_Your Ambassador to Nohr,_

_Leo_

Into the drawer with the others. Speaking of therapy, Leo thought he should probably go and get himself a journal (“diary”, Elise would say) to replace these “letters” while in Hoshido. He’d allowed them to continue for months, and that more than enough time to qualify for a “habit”. Harmless, perhaps. But it was one thing to write something and hide it in your desk in Nohr. In Hoshido, it would be borrowed paper. A borrowed desk. There was also the added oddity of writing fake letters to someone just down the hall.

Another sheet of parchment.

 

_Dear Takumi,_

_Is it technically your new role to keep me entertained for four months? I hope so, since many of my belongings will not be fitting onto the carriage in a few days._

_I’m quite excited, actually, to start my new position. I can see how our brothers got the impression I was heavily interested in Hoshidan culture, although that isn’t necessarily the full truth. I suppose I have you to thank for inadvertently giving them that impression. Not that I would correct them, but my true interest has always been around you. And now I’ve been given an opportunity to continue entertaining my real interest in Hoshido, all the while doing it in the context of business and diplomacy._

_I’ve found that in practise, when things seem too good to be true, they usually are. I still haven’t found the misfortune in this circumstance, but I’ll keep looking._

_I want to make you happy, Takumi. Have you considered what will make you happy in the future? I’ll hold no judgement if you decide this isn’t what you want. Know that I’m waiting for you to come to such a realization, but I will indulge myself, and you, as much as I can beforehand._

_Remember how I told you I was waiting for a custom mirror piece for my telescope? I forgot to mention in my last letter –it finally came. You won’t believe it but I’ve remade it and now it’s merely two-feet long and it works even better than before. You can praise my handiwork when I get to your castle; I’m bringing it with me. A benefit of its new smaller size._

_I’ve also acquired most of the Nohrian items you requested in your last letter. I had no idea you were even fond of some of these things! Some of them, like the tea biscuits, I’m brining for you to eat shortly after my arrival (I promise they turn rock hard in a surprisingly short amount of time) but I’ve also acquired the recipe. I didn’t mind cooking duty during the war actually –although I don’t know how everyone on the receiving end of my cooking felt. We can only get better, right? If you provide the freshly-killed meat, I can make the sides, and we can have the Hoshidan cooks out of a job by July._

_Your Ambassador to Nohr,_

_Leo_

 

There was more feeling in this letter than Leo had intended. But there was something strangely comforting in knowing that Takumi wouldn’t bother writing back to this letter, as any reply would not reach him before he’d set out. Therefore, certain statements would be allowed to hang in the air without the need for a direct response. It was cheating, a little bit. But he wasn’t about to hide away _two_ letters tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I had some of you guys worried about this meeting with the Kings ohohoho
> 
> I found it a little bit challenging to organize my(/Leo's?) thoughts this chapter, but promise I know how this is going to end! Don't give up on me!
> 
> Obviously, this is going to be the last "letter chapter" (hurray?).


	7. Ambassador of Nohr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains sexual content.

Takumi eyed Leo knowingly from behind his bowl, as if daring him to comment.

Leo enjoyed miso soup. But it was still an adjustment, seeing it sitting there casually at the breakfast table, along with rice, a strip of grilled fish, and a small helping of some sort of smelly soybean mixture he was currently poking at with his chopsticks.

Apparently, the breakfasts the Nohrian family was served when visiting –toast, hot cereal, fresh fruit –were actually an exception made to the Hoshidan menu specifically for their guests. Although Leo had seen some Hoshidans eating rice at all times of the day during the war, Leo had assumed it was to due with some sort of rationing policy or the like. The bowl he’d seen with his breakfast for the past five days begged to differ.

Accepting the challenge, the same he’d had every morning so far, Leo ate a mouthful of the beans without complaint. He couldn’t bring himself to be too disappointed after all; part of the reason he was here was to be as immersed in the Hoshidan culture as possible, and the entire family had been nothing but accommodating since he’d arrived. As an ambassador, he felt both businesslike and a weird sense of family at their castle. They’d furnished his usual room in the western end of the castle with additional comforts; a Nohrian style desk, a bookshelf he was encouraged to fill with items from the library, and other small comforts. He was given access to all the kitchens, the closets, gardens and armoury. The wardrobe in the back corner of his room had additional Hoshidan outfits for him to wear if he chose. The large window in his room now also had heavy dark curtains (although he promised himself to try to become more accustomed to the brightness that seemed to be ever present).

Ryouma, as it turned out, was almost as busy as his own brother, despite being better at hiding it whenever they’d visited. As it was, he’d given Leo a rough schedule for the first week, but said after that Leo was welcome and encouraged to make his own schedule, allowing him to chose and oversee the events he desired.

It was over halfway through the week and already he’d spent a morning with Hinoka and the Pegasus knights, a day in the nearby town with Sakura, and attended four meetings at the castle with Ryouma (and a seemingly random assortment of the other royal siblings). Of course, he also managed to spend plenty of time with Takumi.

With Hinoka, he’d somehow been convinced to try riding one of their winged horses. It was terrifying –not that he’d admit it openly. Leo wasn’t fond of flying with the wyverns of Nohr either, but at least they were big enough that you didn’t feel like you were being rocked by any slight breeze. Leo swore the pegasus he rode also had an unusual fondness for nosedives.

Sakura had shown him some of the humanitarian outreach programs she’d helped start up in the town. Not only did the city outskirting castle Shirasagi seem to have less people living in poverty than Nohr, but they also seemed much better taken care of, and on their way to recovery. Shelters and kitchens were funded by the spare funds from the treasury.

Ryouma liked to keep any formal meetings brief (which still tended to mean a handful of hours, usually); he would get to the point, propose ideas, accept or decline ideas in turn, and always seemed to end with some sort of entertainment. Even if a deal did not go as planned, as Leo had seen with the diplomats and representatives from the Eastern coastal towns, no one ever seemed to leave unhappy. The other family members attended such meetings only when and if they were otherwise unoccupied. Leo knew Takumi hated such meetings, but his lack of clearly assigned roles meant he’d also been present at the last four. To his credit, he behaved himself and was surprisingly amiable.

During the last of such meetings, Leo had first encountered the traditional Hoshidan language. Although many words were still used casually for particular objects ( _shogi_ , for example), the language itself was mostly restricted to the very rural towns. Somehow, the associated system of writing was still commonly used despite the language having fallen slowly out of fashion over the past few generations. Not surprisingly, the entire royal family seemed fluent, although this was the first time Leo had heard them converse. During the course of the negotiations, which Leo could not follow whatsoever, he had received apologetic side glances from all the siblings in turn.

After the meeting that morning, Ryouma seemed compelled to formally apologize. “Ah, sorry about that Leo. For some reason I’d forgotten about the language issues of some of our residents. For what it’s worth, there are only a few regions which still speak strictly in the old language.”

“It’s quite alright.” Leo still wasn’t comfortable with King Ryouma apologizing to him. Besides, he was attending the meetings, for now, merely to observe. He didn’t have the right to complain about comprehension (although he might have opted to sleep-in instead of attending this one in particular if he’d known).

“Takumi, why don’t you summarize the meeting for our lovely ambassador?”

Takumi, halfway to running out of the stuffy room, groaned. “But nothing even happened! Everyone just talked in circles.”

“Then would you care to teach our guest Hoshidan?”

“—No!”

Leo chuckled. “Just summarize it for me while we walk. Why don’t we take a turn through the gardens?” Leo had grown to enjoy the sweet springtime air that seemed to surround the castle. It would be extra refreshing after two hours in the small conference room.

“Going crazy yet?” Takumi had agreed to the stroll, and they were making their way through the sunny halls. Leo knew Takumi had missed his usual training in the morning because of the meeting, yet Takumi didn’t seem itching to run away anymore. Leo had joined him for his training, yesterday, actually. He was considering doing it again, although his arm was still sore from yesterday morning. Takumi had insisted he practised with him until one of his arrows hit the center target.

“Not at all. To be honest, I feel more involved here than I did back in Nohr. Although that’s probably just artificial at the moment –I’m not _actually_ doing anything.” Sakura had said something surprising and to the contrary when they were both in town. She’d confessed that she hoped Leo would enjoy himself enough to at least complete his term. Apparently his visits are the happiest she’d seen her brother since their mother died. Not sure how to appropriately reply to this embarrassing tidbit of information, he merely said he was not the kind of person to leave previous obligations and that she needn’t worry.

Of course, he wasn’t going to betray Sakura and share this interesting opinion of hers with Takumi.

They were walking in the semi-courtyard; the open space surrounded on three sides by the impressive walls of the castle. Unlike the cold stone of Castle Krakenburg, the interesting wooden side of the castle complimented the greenery of the gardens. The space was filled with beautiful trees –some still in bloom, fragrant flowers and colourful grasses. In the center was a water arrangement with a trickling waterfall that could be heard faintly bubbling no matter where you were in the gardens. (This was also where Elise’s many goldfish lived)

The castle grounds grew their own vegetables too, although they were located beyond the actual walls of the castle. Sakura claimed it beneficial to always have fresh produce on hand, and this way they could also employ any of the villagers who needed a temporary income to get back on their feet.

The first time the two princes had walked through the gardens, Leo was surprised Takumi knew the names of most of the flora growing inside. Of course, the other prince had scoffed and merely commented that for someone with earth elemental magic, he was remarkably ill-versed in the outdoors.

Point-taken.

Regardless, Leo enjoyed this space. A guilty pleasure too, was the privacy it seemed to offer. It was a special space only for the royals and their most trusted staff. The foliage itself also offered coverage. Regardless of the reasoning, Leo allowed himself to hold Takumi’s hand here, as he was doing now.

His own hand was probably a little too sweaty to seem perfectly casual, and Takumi seemed to grip like he was afraid Leo would run away at any moment. But it was nice.

 Leo was leading the way to his favourite spot; a stone bench beneath a large-leaved tree. The surface was still cool to the touch, being hidden from the enthusiastic May sunshine.

Takumi chuckled and let go of his hand to poke the rim of one of Leo’s ears. It tingled.

“Your ears are burned.”

“Hey! Ouch.” Leo swatted his hand away. He’d noticed too, a growing contrast in the skin covered by his clothing and not. Unfortunately, he seemed prone to burning, while the Hoshidan royal family seemed content to just slowly brown.

“So what’s Ryouma have you doing today? Or was this meeting all?”

“Going to go watch the staff take in your weekly order and check inventory.”

Takumi smiled. “Lame.”

“I have a bit of time still. I was thinking about joining you for your exercises again today…?”

Takumi’s eyes brightened at this, before looking down at his feet. “I was going to go for a run today instead actually. But that meeting went on too long and now it might be a bit too warm. I might go after dinner though. As always you’re welcome to come. Wear your water-resistant clothes though –Hinata sweats like a pig.”

After their time on the battlefield, Leo was unfortunately well-versed in Hinata’s sweating habits. “I’ll think on it.”

They stayed out below the shady tree for a while longer. Procrastinating the start of the rest of their day.

“So, when are you going to admit you don’t like _natto_?”

“I’m not going to complain to your family for feeding me.”

Takumi scoffed. “You don’t seem to have any reservations about complaining to _me_!”

“You’re special.”

The conversations continued a little while longer, as the shadow of the leaves above crept imperceptivity along the cobbled ground.

“Alright well I’m going to try and find my sister. She wanted me for something-or-other today.”

“Can you tell her Xander sent her some mail? It was in my pile when I checked this morning.”

“Again?” Leo shrugged in response. “Alright… will do. See you at dinner.”

Leo remained seated even as Takumi disappeared around a corner, only the top of his spiky hair visible above a lush bush before he disappeared entirely.

“Speaking of dinner, how ‘bout some lunch?”

Although his abrupt appearance startled Leo, he wasn’t entirely surprised.

“If only you were so thoughtful about people’s privacy.” Leo nonetheless took one of the wrapped balls of rice from Niles.

“What are you implying, milord? I just happened to be walking by when I heard the sounds of a royal stomach rumbling… And here you are!”

“Mmm.” Leo stood up and started unwrapping the foodstuff. He wasn’t actually upset with Niles. He’d initially insisted Niles stay back in Nohr when he was first planning the trip, but Niles would have none of it. Neither would Xander, as it turned out, not that his brother’s opinion would truly matter in the end –knowing Niles he would have hidden in the trunk of Leo’s carriage all the way to Hoshido even if Leo had stayed firm. _What was a retainers’ purpose, if not for accompanying their master to foreign lands?_ Fine. As it was, it was nice having a reminder of Nohr here with him. Another friend. And Niles did give him his own kind of privacy -- he kept his presence at a minimum, although Leo knew he was never far away. And probably _listening_ too. But it was a small price to pay.

“Would you like to hear the updated gossip of the service staff to accompany your lunch? It’s quite scandalous.”

Leo chuckled. “Scandalous? I suspect you aren’t keeping your promise of behaving yourself, then.”

“Come now, you have an entire afternoon of inventory checks with some of these people. At least let me indulge the trivialities of their lives to occupy your mind in the background.”

Leo stepped back into the castle, not that the sunshine on his back would indicate any change of scenery. During nice weather, Castle Shirasagi had a habit of keeping many of the sliding doors open to let the fresh air inside. What would Krakenburg let in if they’d left their heavy iron doors open? Rats, probably.

“Fine. Indulge me. But at least wait until we get to the library.”

 

 

It was June now, and the sun was somehow still prevailing, many hours after dinner. Leo and Takumi had gotten into the habit of lounging on the balcony of his room at this hour, just as it was bathed in the orange light of the seemingly tireless sun. Even on the balcony, Leo could still catch the earthy, plant smell of Takumi’s room. What had once been inky calligraphy and then awkward flower arrangements had since been replaced with little miniature trees called “bonsai”. They were on the slow decline when Leo had arrived almost a month ago, leaves dry and turning brown, but Leo had taken it upon himself to help his friend revive the sad little plants. Leo himself did not have a green thumb, although Brynhildr, which he had taken the habit of keeping with him in a little holder on his hip in exchange for his new unarmoured attire, allowed him to cheat a little bit. The earth magic Leo could manipulate with it wasn’t permanent of course –otherwise Nohr wouldn’t have the nearly constant food-shortage issues it had, however the plants were so small that very little energy could be spent over a period of many weeks. In short, Leo probably saved the plants, but Takumi’s renewed efforts thereafter was probably why they were still alive now even as the magic, Leo sensed, was wearing off.

“I can’t figure this one out.” Leo was sitting sprawled on the shiny wooden floors of the balcony, a number puzzle Takumi had given him that evening half-finished in his hands.

“Aha, have I finally stumped you?” Takumi appeared at the open doorway, watering can hanging empty in his hand. It had started with a puzzle book they’d discovered in the library a few weeks ago. They’d both made quick work of it, but Takumi seemed to use it as inspiration to make his own puzzles. They were good. This was the first one Leo wasn’t sure if he could actually solve.

“The sun’s not down yet. I still have time.”

“Alright then, if you say so.” He set the watering can on the floor and sat down behind Leo, snaking his arms around his waist and resting his head against his shoulder.

“You know… if we just told everyone, maybe you wouldn’t need to tense up every time I make contact with you in public. This is my _private_ balcony, by the way. The only people who can see us now are Niles, probably.” Leo had been worried that Takumi would have been upset when he’d mentioned a few days previous that Niles had a habit of being, well, everywhere. Takumi seemed remarkably unbothered, and somehow turned it into a running gag, occasionally asking, loudly, Niles’ opinion on some remark. His questions went unanswered of course, although Leo could clearly imagined his retainer’s amused smirk.

On the other hand, casual comments about telling others about their relationship had become more frequent. A fear was growing in Leo that perhaps the terms and conditions of this whole thing were not as clear as Leo had thought. Perhaps their mutual understanding was not so… mutual.

“We aren’t telling anyone.”

“ _Clearly._ Could you relax a bit? You’re as stiff as a board –I’m tempted to just lay on the floor instead.”

If Niles was truly within earshot, Leo knew he’d be sorely tempted to reveal himself if only to poke some fun at Leo being “stiff as a board”.

“Its all my muscles.”

“Haha, sure. Hey? Let’s try to sneak into the kitchen again tomorrow and make more of those snickerdoodle things.”

“Did we finish the last batch already? Let’s make even more this time –we can bring the leftovers to Ryouma’s next meeting. Maybe the other Hoshidans will like them as much as you.” Leo had been here long enough to know that the representatives coming in this week were always a hard sell. Maybe dessert would help win them over.

Leo knew he’d lost tonight’s puzzle challenge even before the sun disappeared below the outer castle walls when Takumi’s voice tickled kept tickling his neck as they spoke. Leo welcomed the distraction though, eventually relenting and putting down the puzzle when Takumi’s consonants eventually caused him to break down into laughter. He turned his head and saw his partner’s confused expression for only a second before leaning in for a lighthearted kiss.

 

 

Leo was riding Despair, observing the seemingly never-ending Hoshidan countryside. The war activities the previous year had disrupted the usual agricultural cycle, so what Leo had thought at the time were desolate fields were actual fertile soil that was now in the height of its growth.

Their carriage followed a few hundred meters behind them. It had their supplies for the 7 day trip; clothes, documents, mostly, as well as a few small tokens of appreciation to be given to certain officials facilitating their stay. The carriage with its thin wooden wheels was having issues on the dirt roads, the shallow dips currently filled with puddles of water from the rain earlier in the week. Hinata and Niles where manning the vehicle as Leo and Takumi took their horses to ride ahead.

Some of the fields Leo recognized; rice paddies, for example, were pretty obvious. Beans too, he could recognize from the fields their war camp had. But a lot of the unrecognizable little tops of plants poking out the ground Leo had to consult Takumi, who, as in the gardens, was surprisingly knowledgeable on such things.

Despite the breadth of produce, Leo was also surprised at the friendly waves and hellos they got as they passed within seeing distance of the farmers working the fields. Leo and Takumi, in big straw hats to shield themselves from the unrelenting sun, riding out on horseback on a dirt road did not immediately appear as royalty. The people seemed to be unbiasedly friendly. Leo tried to not imagine these people as the nameless, Hoshidan citizens his father had ordered him to send faceless upon.

 Leo figured by the time his trip was over, waving to strangers would seem a lot more natural than it did now.

The trip was something Leo had been planning since his first few weeks in Hoshido in order to see the small-scale self-governance allowed in the Country. Although the big decisions and policies all passed through the castle and the royal family, Hoshido had a system that was also somewhat independent of the state as well. People chose the representatives in their towns, no matter how small, and seemingly trivial decisions were made by these elected individuals. This of course meant people like Ryouma had more time to deal with important issues. Important issues, like the drainage issue facing one of the towns they were visiting. In this case, the King sent out one of his own (Takumi) to oversee the situation and come up with a solution. Conveniently, this town with the drainage complications was right next to a town about to have a mayoral election, and Leo was interested in observing both.

They would be arriving at their first destination by dinnertime.

Despite his hat and breathable Hoshidan clothes, Leo could feel the hair on the back of his neck and forehead sticking to his skin. It was hot. The bright Hoshido sun seemed to be shining almost mockingly now, reminding them how little shade there was, and winning the competition with the clouds over dominance of the sky.

“It’s too damn _hot_.” This was actually voiced by Takumi, sagging atop his horse to his left.

Leo couldn’t help but smile. This wasn’t the best example of course –every person unlucky enough to be outdoors on this sweltering July day would have the same sentiment –but it reminded Leo of how his soft-spot for the Prince had developed, once their vicious verbal rivalry had ended.

“…What are you grinning about?”

“Heat stroke, probably. Or maybe I was just thinking about why I love you.”

Takumi looked startled. “Definitely heat stroke.”

"Care to hear? Something to keep our minds off the heat?"

Takumi made a rightfully skeptical sound but didn't stop him.

“I remember being fascinated, for lack of a better word, shortly after our mutual discovery that we had very similar interests. My curiosity piqued, I remember seeking you out, looking for reasons to speak to you. About anything, really. The pretense of friendship was there, sure. But there was also something clinical about the way I spoke with you, learned more about you, and tried to figure out who you were. At first I came to the weird conclusion everyone else in camp apparently did; that me and you were very similar people. Not just interests, but circumstances, ideals, doubts. It was like looking into some weird, personal sort of mirror. I didn’t like it at first –I could only see all the same flaws I saw in myself.”

The sounds of the buzzing cicadas filled the space where Leo considered what he would say next. The lack of a sarcastic response told Leo that Takumi was actually hanging on his every word. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to share something like this –now of all times, during an unremarkable ride through the countryside. But he’d started so it was too late to back out now. In a strange way, Leo had already told Takumi of all this –on one of his unsent letters.

“But then I realized it was the ways we were different that I really loved. We’re opposites too, in some ways. Did you notice? And it some weird way, I felt, _feel_ , like you make up for the imperfect parts of me. What a strange discovery this was! How often did someone run into someone who was both their likeness and their foil? You would retaliate while I would seethe. You would act while I would think. Heck, you wake up with the sun while I prefer to stay awake half the night. The list, and I’m embarrassed to admit I did come up with a mental list of sorts, is expansive. And while I was coming up with my little list you know what happened?” Leo glanced over in time to see Takumi shaking his head, bewilderment and embarrassment both painted across his face. “You almost fell –remember? A piece of floating island broke off, with you on it. With some sort of reflex I reached out; I remember seeing everything in a different light after that. You could have died. Of course, in war the opportunity to die exists constantly, but because this was so abrupt, so absolute, and so uncontrollable it alarmed me. Because here I’d found --maybe not the ‘perfect person’, but the perfect person in contrast to _myself_ , and he’d almost ceased existing. And that’s when I cared for you not only as a friend and as a concept, but as a person. As… well, as you.”

Leo’s throat felt strangely tight. He was also feeling weirdly out of breath. Maybe it really was heat stroke. “Anyways, I feel like that sort of strong connection with another human being comes rarely and inevitably a boyish infatuation developed.” He shrugged, as if that would somehow make his comments trivial and not, in fact, a special sort of confession.

Leo was  feeling a little too self-conscious to look over at Takumi just yet, but he heard him say “thank you” above the din of the insects and the plodding of hooves in a tone Leo couldn’t quite distinguish, however it was clear that Takumi didn’t think this trivial at all.

 

 

After they’d all settled into their own rooms at the little inn and taken turns washing in the little washing room on the first floor (it was very… rural; the inn keepers filled a large tub halfway with water then brought a large bucket of boiling water to heat it up), Leo was fiddling with his window, trying to get rid of some of the stuffiness of the room. However the unfamiliar air didn’t sit well with him, and he decided to close it again. Like the time at the restaurant, this was the first time Leo had stayed at an inn as a “commoner”. But he was better at taking things like this in stride now. Or he liked to think so, at least.

Leo was about to check his pack for something to read when he heard a knock at his door.

He opened it.

“Good evening, stranger.”

Leo stepped aside as Takumi nearly pushed himself through, flopping down face-first onto the bed.

Leo said the first thing that came to mind. “Your hair’s down.” Despite their shared time together, Leo had only seen Takumi’s hair down the one time. It was unusual and worthy of comment. At the moment, it was untied and spread ungraciously across his back, the ends nearly reaching the bottom hem of his long shirt. Like Leo, it appeared he was dressed for bed, in the typical two-piece jinbei that even Leo took to wearing instead of his typical Nohrian flannels.

Takumi ran his hand through the back of his head self-consciously. “Yeah well…” His voice was muffled slightly by the bed.

Leo joined him, resisting the urge to braid Takumi’s unsuspecting hair as he used to do for Elise when she was younger. “It’s late –for you. Is everything alright?”

When Takumi turned his head, Leo was surprised to see a distinctive blush across the cheeks. “Everything is alright. Better than alright, actually. Um…”

Leo smiled, Takumi’s unusual behaviour giving him some amusement. “Have we reached a level of familiarity where you can show up in my room and throw yourself on my bed without reason?”

Takumi rolled himself over onto his back, looking a little bit more relaxed at Leo’s comment. “Well, I feel like that’s only a matter of time. But no, I did come here for a reason, actually.”

He was still stalling, which was strange. Luckily Leo was in no rush, and he doubted Takumi would leave him guessing for long. “I think you look very nice with your hair down. Did I tell you that last time?”

Takumi tried to look unaffected by the complement, but Leo could always catch the sparkle in his eye when he received praise. “No, I don’t think so.” He made a sound as if he was clearing his throat. “But speaking of that, I was thinking… I wanted to continue. From where we left off. The night of the coronation --we stopped. I thought maybe we could keep going?”

_Oh._

Leo digested the implications of Takumi's request. He had a moment to appreciate the embarrassed conviction on the other man’s face and the weird sort of courage it must have taken Takumi to knock on his door and make this sort of request. Especially since Leo had (albeit reluctantly) shot down his advances last time, after the spring festival.

Leo wasn’t going to say no a second time. He didn’t think he was capable, anyways.

“I... have no objections to that." It was impossible to say that without feeling a blush creep across his cheeks to match Takumi's. "But why now? I feel… and forgive me if I’m being presumptuous, but I feel like there has been many opportunities for such things during my stay.” Leo had resolved not to be the one making physical advances, yet there were times when they’d been reading late at night on Takumi’s bed, shoulder to shoulder… or even a few times after a practice spar when they’d collapse, sweaty and tired, half on top of each other on the grass, when Leo could feel his resolve ebbing away.

“Oh yeah? Then why didn’t _you_ do anything?” Takumi asked, as he turned himself onto his back and crossed his arms defensively.

Leo chuckled and figured he may as well meet him halfway, now that Takumi had taken the effort to invade his bed. Leo turned onto his side and shifted closer, one hand finally playfully fondling Takumi’s hair.

“Good point.” Leo’s breath blew hot against Takumi’s face, before he gently nudged Takumi’s cheek with his free hand, pulling him in for a kiss. It was like those they’d shared countless times in the small windows of privacy they’d created for themselves, except this time with the knowledge that some barrier was being formally breached.

This seemed to do the trick and Takumi’s arms uncrossed themselves, and Leo took the invitation to situate himself properly against the other man’s chest and between his legs, both their feet now dangling off the edge of the bed. Admittedly, for all their casual closeness, this level of proximity did still feel somewhat foreign.

“Hey. You’re heavy.”

Leo lifted himself up on his elbows. “Heh… sorry.” He nipped playfully at Takumi’s collar before he felt a gentle tugging at the hair at the nape of his neck, bringing him back up for another kiss with a bit more heat. He could feel Takumi’s exhilarated smile moving against his jawline, and it affected him even more than the fingers pressed into the back of his neck. When he felt lips tickling at his earlobe, his head jerked in response.

“Ticklish?”

“Hey you.” Leo found himself kissing Takumi’s face again, giving him the time he needed to recover before targeting Takumi’s neck in retaliation, allowing his tongue to leave little wet marks on the skin. Suddenly it was Takumi’s nails gripping his skin. An indiscreet sound from Takumi’s throat vibrated against Leo’s lips. “…Come to think of it, I think our positions were reversed.” Leo said this as if it wasn’t a verified fact; as if the memory of Takumi straddling his hips and kissing aggressively at his jaw wasn’t burned into his memory with embarrassing vividness. “Want to take the lead?” He tried his best to sound impartial.

(He wasn’t; the recollection was enough to make him ache and stiffen in the loose Hoshidan nightclothes).

Leo wasn’t expecting to see uncertainty flash across Takumi’s features. “I think it’s going pretty well as it is, actually. You probably have a better idea of what you’re doing anyways.”

Leo laughed sardonically.

“What? You said you’ve done this before.”

For a moment Leo was confused, and it took him a moment to figure out what he was referring to. Leo was having trouble keeping track of what he’d actually told Takumi, and what he’d only written in unsent letters –as far as Takumi was aware, Leo had slept with women before, willingly. “It wasn’t like that.” There appeared to be some misconception that Leo knew what he was doing.

(He didn’t, although perhaps he should feel flattered Takumi thought he did. This was –thank gods –nothing like those other times. He wished he could tell Takumi as much.)

“Regardless.” Takumi was kissing him hungrily again. Needless to say he didn’t seem to mind his position sandwiched between Leo and the bed. There was no need to push the issue, then. Insecurities didn’t need to be agitated for the sake of his own petty preferences.

Leo undid the tie of his jinbei, then pulled his arms out and threw the top on the floor.

Their kisses turned into equal parts lips, teeth, and tongue. Leo steeled himself then gave a deliberate roll of his hips, relishing in the friction and the suggestion of Takumi’s arousal beneath all the layers.

“Ahh… Takumi...” He repeated the motion, and this time the other pair of hips reflexively arched up in response. Leo kissed anywhere he could --sloppy, unpracticed. Not that either of them knew the difference. Now that he was becoming aware how badly he wanted this, he was shocked at his ability to keep it in check all these weeks. _Months_.

He answered to his name as if it'd been asked as a question. “Y-yeah?” Takumi’s hands were exploring his exposed back, sliding, resting on his hips, thumbs poking at his pelvic bones, flirting with the hem of his shorts. Leo was trying to coax Takumi’s top off now too; eventually Takumi stopped his own activities to help, throwing it on top of Leo’s on the floor.

He was reminded of the days before the war had ended, when Leo had felt embarrassed by his quiet appreciation of Takumi’s body and the surprising tone that came from using a bow; Leo wasn’t sure what to do with all this new access to Takumi’s chest, now that it had been given. Sliding his hands along the sides of Takumi’s ribs and grazing his teeth against his collarbone seemed to give positive results –although Takumi seemed to be responsive to everything so it was hard to get an accurate judgement. If Takumi’s small unintentional vocalizations weren’t going straight to Leo’s groin, he’d have had the mind to be concerned their retainers down the hall might hear them.

They exchanged kisses in this manner for a bit; Leo on Takumi's neck and chest, Takumi on the pieces of Leo's exposed shoulder and collar that he could reach from his angle. Both of them found common ground back at each others mouths, a strange sense of familiarity there in this otherwise new but exciting enterprise. Takumi's curious hands made up for the otherwise relatively static position of his mouth, every part of Leo's upper body seeming to be brushed, caressed, gripped or scratched in turn. It was when Takumi started sounding more frustrated than pleased, with an almost impatient grip on his bicep, that Leo decided it was probably time to move on.

“Takumi…?” Leo’s question was interrupted by a kiss; Takumi apparently saw the opportunity and took it. “Takumi, can I touch you?”

Immediately, his face looked comically horrified. “You –why are you asking??” Leo couldn’t help but laugh as Takumi hid his eyes beneath the palms of his hands. “I can’t believe you’re _asking_ … gods, yes! Please! Holy fuck, Leo…!”

Smiling and giving him a quick peck on the tip of his exposed nose, Leo slid himself down further along Takumi’s body. It was a good thing he was running almost entirely on pent-up sexual frustration at this point, because Leo truly didn’t know what he was doing, and normally that would have been terrifying. Leo kissed a trail from his chest down to his navel, one of his hands sliding up Takumi’s exposed thigh (his shorts having been kicked off a short while ago), before he hooked one of his fingers into the waist of Takumi’s underclothes. He felt Takumi’s hands grip the bedsheets at his sides, whether out of anticipation or some sort of nervousness he wasn’t sure, so he continued nipping at Takumi’s hip bone, licking at the dip of the skin there, sliding Takumi’s last piece of clothing down to his knees almost as an afterthought. He went back to rubbing up and down Takumi’s thigh, choosing to ignore the new piece of exposed flesh until he felt the grip of the covers relax.

Leo took a loose grip and began stroking languidly. At the first contact Takumi made such a loud gasp, Leo almost stopped out of shock before realizing that this was indeed a positive reaction. Continuing, he gave his remaining attention to Takumi’s other leg. It was bent at the knee, and Leo alternated between giving tender kisses and little nips to the white skin on the inside of the thigh. After making a trip up to the knee and back Leo noticed the trail of red marks he’d left. This time it was Leo who made an unwarranted sound, hardly more than a catch of his breath, but Takumi heard it anyways.

“Leo?” He was beautifully out of breath, his voice coming out in a strange timbre.

“N-nothing. Never mind, sorry.” Leo wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for, still staring at the fading red marks on the skin, trying to ignore the fresh surge of need that seemed to radiate almost painfully from his center. He decided they didn’t need to draw this out too much longer.

Leo re-positioned himself, and resisted the urge to ask permission again for this next action. He would rather not have his skull crushed by embarrassed and indignant thighs.

This time he was ready for heady cry from somewhere above him as he applied his tongue.

Still gripping loosely at the base, Leo tried allowing his tongue to travel lower this time before slowly coming back up. And again. Again. Leo looked upwards to check on his partner and was caught off guard when he saw a pair of brown eyes looking intently at him; Takumi was propped up slightly, one hand slightly covering his mouth (perhaps finally being mindful of the thin walls?) and those eyes… Leo couldn’t bring himself to look away as he finally tried to take Takumi in properly, cheeks hollowed and tongue rubbing along the underside.

Takumi was the first to look away, hips rising slightly off the bed in what Leo assumed was an unintentional gesture of appreciation, muffled sounds coming from behind his hand. Leo repeated the motion, attempting to get a rhythm he could maintain (although it was obvious Takumi wasn’t going to last very long anyways). Finally giving in, Leo pushed down his own shorts and began palming himself roughly through his underwear, the friction not nearly enough but still maddening, given the circumstances.

This continued for a but, until Takumi’s muffled mutterings (Leo couldn’t quite hear what he was saying, but heard his name interspersed in there occasionally) suddenly stopped and Takumi abruptly sat up. Now he spoke more clearly, if not a bit panicked, “Leo, Leo, wait! S-Stop, Leo…” Leo braced himself and ignored the hand that was now gripping his hair, choosing instead to continue with extra enthusiasm.

For all his earlier vocalizations, Takumi finished with little more than a hitch of his breath, hand falling limply from Leo’s head, Leo swallowing without a second thought.

Leo sat up and surveyed his handiwork; Takumi was lying flat against the pillows, eyes closed, one arm raised and lying against his forehead, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. There was a strangely gratifying feeling in his chest at the sight.

Now that his focus was allowed to wander, Leo became aware of how very hard he still was. For some reason, even after all this, he couldn’t bring himself to bother Takumi, sprawled out in front of him, to assist him with his… issue. Embarrassment and shame were truly a curse.

Sitting awkwardly on his knees for a moment longer, Leo finally pushed down his underwear and leaned forward, pressing his head into the soft mattress. He wouldn’t last long –after waiting so long he was almost too sensitive. Unconnected thoughts ran though his head as he touched himself; the taste still lingering in his mouth, Takumi saying his name, those red marks spread out on white skin… what if it was Takumi leaving marks on him next time? Takumi, holding his wrists against the mattress, grinding into his hips, biting red, sore marks onto his neck--

“Aaahhah…”

This sound seemed to wake Takumi up immediately.

“Oh! I –shit, I didn’t think… Leo, eugh, I’m sorry? I don’t know how I didn’t realize…” Leo, through his haze, could feel Takumi shuffling beside him. “Here.” Leo opened his eyes to see Takumi offering him some tissues from the side table. He took them and gingerly wiped up his hand and front, before finally laying down properly on his stomach. Changing his mind, he turned on his side and wrapped himself lazily around Takumi, who was still looking sheepish.

How long had that lasted? Ten minutes? Ten hours? (Probably somewhere in between)

“Heh… wow, I didn’t mean to have terrible, err, bedroom manners.” Takumi settled back down into the bed, turning around so they were facing each other.

Leo, still felt tired and just nuzzled deeper into Takumi’s chest. “Don’t worry…you’re perfect. And _loud_.”

Takumi giggled awkwardly, the aftermath clearly making them both peculiar. They lay there for a while, not saying anything, until finally Takumi said, “You told me you loved me today…”

Leo opened his eyes, although the view offered was only that of Takumi’s dimly lit armpit. “I did?” Leo couldn’t deny the feeling, but he didn’t intend on ever speaking so plainly of it. “When?”

“You said you were thinking about why you love me… When we were riding today.”

“Hmm.”

Lying here like this, somehow felt more intimate than their earlier activities. Leo thought he felt Takumi smile against his forehead. Takumi whispered, “I think I love you too…”

Despite the happiness he felt, Leo also felt tears forming in his eyes, making them sting. The timing was inappropriate; he tried to blink them away. He didn’t need Takumi asking him what was wrong.

Leo lost track of time completely for the second time that evening. At some point he woke up still in Takumi’s arms and asked, “Shouldn’t you head back? You wouldn’t want Hinata to catch you leaving my room in the morning…”

Takumi, perhaps still half asleep mumbled something then replied, “Pfft. Hinata doesn’t care.”

Leo sat up, causing Takumi to look up at him bleary eyed. “Doesn’t care? What do you mean? You didn’t tell him, did you?” Leo’s heart was suddenly hammering in his chest. “We weren’t telling anyone, Takumi!”

“What’s your deal? Of course I didn’t tell him. I meant he _wouldn’t_ care. And even if he did, _I_ don’t care… if he cares. --Hey, you okay?”

Leo was staring at the window. He could feel a hard frown set on his face. The sky was closer to grey than black. The sun would be rising soon. “I think you should get back to your room.”

Takumi’s brow furrowed, face turning into a scowl. It looked like he was about to argue, but instead he collected his clothes and stood up to get dressed.

“I wish you would tell me what we’re waiting for. I’m not in a hurry, but you make it sound like you _never_ want anyone to find out.”

Leo turned his head to face Takumi again, but he was already shutting the door quietly behind him.

A cold sweat had collected on his skin. There was no doubt about it now –there was some sort of misunderstanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooh boy. 
> 
> Adding a rating and a speculative total chapter number. 
> 
> This is literally the most "explicit" thing I've every written so if this is cringe-y, poorly written or BAD in any way please please tell me. I considered doing a vague few paragraphs but decided to take the risk and delve a bit deeper --but if it detracts from the rest of the work I'd rather omit it. (Also if this merits an E rating instead of M also let me know?)
> 
> I also put some thought into the reasons someone like Leo may have fallen in love with Takumi; I hope some of you like my reasoning?
> 
> As always, I love comments and kudos. Thanks for everyone who has been keeping up with this. I'm sorry I can't manage to update faster! You can find me on twitter @chrrybubblegum or on tumblr at cherry-bubblegum :)


	8. Correspondences

Leo was expecting Takumi to act differently that morning, when the four of them assembled for a quick breakfast in the small dining area of the inn, but it was him who found himself avoiding Takumi’s gaze (and Niles’ too –for good measure), suddenly embarrassed by their activities from the previous night and by his outburst that morning.

Not that Leo regretted anything, the good nor the bad. But he was finding it hard and harder to justify their actions, their relationship, when Leo was reminded of the futility of the whole thing. Leo had envisioned a situation where he would continue by Takumi’s side so long as it pleased the other prince, and would, logically, retire from said romantic position when Takumi was ready to move on, whether that entail him finding a more suitable partner or simply tiring of Leo’s affections. However, despite all reasoning Takumi did not seem to think of their partnership as the temporary thing it was destined to be.

Leo was concerned. He couldn’t be with Takumi forever –people would talk, eventually, and he would be ruining the other man’s future. Hell, all else aside, Takumi had mentioned many times how he wanted kids. _Kids_! Plus Xander and Nohr were having enough difficulties keeping the people appeased without the political scandal of a sexually deviant prince. The planting season had already come and gone and the land rented out by Hoshido to the Nohrian people to help in creating sustainable farmland was already poorly managed. Relations between the people of the two countries was again tense; the Norhian farmers were resentful and the Hoshidan landowners haughty.

But if Takumi was willing to blindly go forward and destroy his own future and the reputation of the Hoshidan royal family, then it would have to be Leo who ended it. Had Leo known that he would have to end it against Takumi’s wishes he would not have endeavoured to appease and reciprocate the other man’s feelings.

This peculiar mood seemed to follow Leo throughout the day. He nearly made a poor impression on the current elected officials that morning and was only saved by Takumi’s clear thinking and natural ability to understand and placate the common folk. Giving Takumi and apologetic and thankful glance, he allowed himself to take a more backseat approach to observing the election process. Thankfully, although Takumi probably had a relatively clear idea of the process, he seemed to ask questions on behalf of Leo’s own curiosity and agenda. So despite Leo’s blunder, he was still able to collect all his necessary information.

“Perhaps milord didn’t spend enough time sleeping last night? You seem to be struggling today.”

Lacking his usual dismissive wit, Leo responded to Niles’ suggestive comment with only a non-committal grunt.

Although Leo was still cranky and mentally distracted that afternoon, he was glad when Takumi offered the four of them help the city council and volunteers count the ballots. Faces clearly brightened at the prospect of additional help, and some of the guilt Leo had harboured at prying into their affairs was dissolved.

By nightfall, a winner had been determined and announced. They returned to the inn, walking briskly to avoid the mosquitos that seemed to have come out once the rain had ended.

“Hey, you alright?”

Takumi clearly wanted the question to sound casual, and Leo loathed to think it may have been sitting worryingly on Takumi’s tongue all day. Everyone was worn out from unfamiliar activities and the sour weather and were retiring to their beds. Takumi had just asked Leo inside with the pretense to help him unjam his window, which was stuck open and letting the bugs in.

“I am.” Now was not the opportune time for Leo to voice his concerns.

Takumi sighed and put his hands on his hips. “I think you’re a liar.”

“And I think the puddle beneath your window would suggest that sometimes you make mistakes.” The window, left open throughout the day, had let in not only bugs, but rain as well.

“Why don’t you ever _talk_ to me?”

Leo’s comment had meant to diffuse the situation; he wasn’t expecting a serious response. He crossed his arms. “I do talk to you. Every day. At length.” It wasn’t really an answer to Takumi’s question –not the one he probably wanted, anyways.

“Fine. Fine!” He seemed to consider something, his eyes darting to the floor. He didn’t say anything more, so Leo took a step towards the door. “—Wait. Is it something I did? Yesterday…?”

A rush of fondness came over him, unbidden. He walked back over to Takumi, whose hands were still defensively on his hips, although he was looking more awkward than standoffish. “Is this what this is about?” He hoped his smile looked reassuring and not condescending.

“No! Although… considering the timing I thought it might have been a good guess.”

It would seem Leo wasn’t the only one with dwelling thoughts. “I suppose it is… a good guess, that is.” Takumi almost made it sound easy. _Talk to me._ There were so many things Leo didn’t say. Wouldn’t say. Although maybe if he’d talked more things wouldn’t be as complicated as they were.

Leo removed Takumi’s hands from his hips, held them in his. He kissed one set of knuckles, then the other. This brought a dusting of colour to Takumi’s cheeks, but he remained looking unimpressed; clearly Leo would need to do better than that. He deserved better than that.

“What if I said that in the hypothetical situation that something is bothering me, that it is entirely my fault?”

“Your vagueness gets less cute every day.”

Leo leaned in and kissed the corner of the other man’s face, where he thought he saw a hint of a smile.

“Ok but what about my face? Does my face get _more_ cute every day?”

Takumi finally swatted him away, shooing him out the door, although he was smiling again. Leo chuckled.

At the doorway, Takumi added, “I was serious, by the way. If things are ever bothering you… that’s why I’m here. Regardless of whether or not it has anything to do with me.”

Leo’s chest felt clenched by Takumi’s raw sincerity. “Sweet dreams.”

 

 

Their schedule did not have them in the next village until the following day, so Takumi took the liberty of insisting to the villagers that Leo _desperately_ wanted to learn how to prepare mochi –a squishy dessert he’d grown quite fond of. The request itself was a lie, Leo had not asked for such a thing, although at the suggestion, albeit unexpected, he was not opposed to the idea. Only once the process had begun, himself paired up with Hinata with a large mallet and bucket between them, arms burning with the tireless beating of white, rice-y blob, did Leo realize Takumi was taking some sort of revenge.

In the next village, things went over smoothly from start to finish –probably because this was Takumi’s mission. Leo simply observed Takumi as he spoke to the various people, inspected the damages, consulted the council. He also seemed eager to offer his own insights, which were well-received, only encouraging him further. He was good at interacting with the people, although this no longer surprised Leo.

They spent the last day at this village helping fill sandbags, which somehow turned into a competition Leo knew his back would regret when they began their ride back tomorrow morning (his arms were still not fully recovered from the mochi-making).

“You know, you’re pretty good at this diplomacy thing.” This time it was Leo and Takumi, sprawled out on the two seats of the carriage, while their retainers rode ahead. “Have you done this often?” It was the first time Leo had seen Takumi out on such an expedition since he’d arrived. He didn’t recall such travels in any of his letters either, although they had tried to keep the mention of politics and other duties scant in their correspondences.

“You’re more than welcome to tell Ryouma that.”

Leo raised his brow. “Encouraged, even, I take it?”

“I get tossed into every single boring meeting, but you know how often I get sent out to do anything useful?” There was a hint of shame in his voice. “This was the first. And this –I don’t mind this. It’s muddy, it’s rural, the people are a bit rough and tumble, but it’s Hoshido. More so than the palace will ever be. Not to mention that no one will give me a second thought so long as my brother is seated beside me.”

Leo wasn’t sure how to respond to this, familiar as it seemed. “Well, for what it’s worth, your idea was great. A partial dam of the river, allowing overflow to be diverted to the nearby rice paddies? You literally made a bad situation into a good one. If this is the sort of thing you like doing, I see no reason to not encourage Ryouma to allow more of it. For whatever my opinion is worth.”

“What about you? How have you liked being an ambassador? You only have a few weeks left.” Leo spoke comparatively less of it, but he knew Takumi was aware how he felt about his own place in the Nohrian royal family. As Garon’s son, at least, he had at least felt he had a purpose. War was a nasty purpose but a purpose none the less. As Corrin’s ally, his purpose was reshaped. But now, as Xander’s brother in a time of peace, he felt restless. Useless. The duties he was given they could live without, yet to not be put into any use would make him a burden. The limbo wasn’t pleasant.

Leo was due to write his report for the four months and share it a few days after the anniversary of Xander’s coronation, the next time both royal families would be together. He wasn’t sure what would come after –another four months spent in Hoshido? Or perhaps he would be go back to Nohr and try to implement some things his report would suggest. He hadn’t considered how his involvement with Takumi would play a part in the future, although he was beginning to think it might be more complicated than he’d anticipated.

Leo smiled. “I worry I have conflicts of interest.” He swallowed the lump in his throat.

Takumi laughed. “Is that what I am, now?”

 

 

They had not shared a bed since the first night at the little Inn. However, when Leo visited Takumi’s room the evening after their return (after singing many praises of Takumi’s ability in the villages during his briefing with King Ryouma), Takumi nearly pushed him onto the futon. By the time Leo was able to sneak back to his own room, Takumi had taken the liberty to mark the skin at the crook of his neck (and then some). It was pointedly done –as if he knew the idea excited him. But how could he possibly know?

But of course his boyfriend would somehow figure out just what he liked; he was so observant, so smart–

Boyfriend.

_No._

Leo guiltily hid the purplish mark behind a borrowed blue scarf the next night, although the little campfire was more than warm enough for the early August evening. Takumi had told him these little fires where a common thing in the fall; the royal family would come out and cook sweet potatoes on the embers and take a break from everything for a little while. It was too early for the potatoes, but Sakura was more than happy to share a sack of marshmallows, which they cooked on sticks until blackened, outer shell crispy and insides a sticky gooey mess. The treats made him think of Elise –he should write her again tomorrow. Even after spending the summer on errands with Xander, she still seemed as spirited and optimistic as ever. Sometimes he envied her.

 

 

“But it’s been weeks since you’ve gone hunting with me!” Takumi was moving around impatiently in Leo’s room, absentmindedly cleaning up the small messes Leo tended to forget about; socks were thrown into the bin, a chair was pushed in, the sound of disorganized papers being shuffled into a stack was heard from somewhere behind him, as he continued writing at his little desk.

“I need to finish my report. Besides, the last week hardly counts; we both weren’t even here.” It was unusual for Takumi to suggest a hunt in the afternoon –he generally went first thing in the morning. Although Leo had gotten better at waking up at “Hoshidan” hours, he didn’t love the sport nearly enough to accompany Takumi at every occasion. He did love a certain someone enough to join in occasionally, however. Hinata had been right –never again did Takumi let him have the opportunity to take the first shot.

Leo felt him hovering behind him now. “Oh yeah? Looks like you’re just writing Elise.”

He turned around to give his companion a shove but he was already skipping out the door, snickering at having caught Leo in a lie.

Leo called after him, tucking away his sheets for later, “Alright alright! Wait for me at the shed; I just need to change into some proper clothes!”

The forest felt different in the afternoons; the smell of soil was more noticeable in the mornings, but now everything just smelled… leafy. There were less songbirds now too, although if Leo was a bird he would know to stay clear of Takumi and his bow by now, after the number of oblivious (but delicious) quails and turkeys Leo had seen him fell. Leo still felt out of his element here –ironic, considering his tome always strapped to his waist.

It was immediately clear Takumi hadn’t actually intended to hunt. He made no attempt at quieting his footsteps, and seemed to encourage conversation as if they were in their chambers. Granted, the privacy here was absolute. Another one of the reason Leo didn’t mind coming along every now and then. Leo didn’t think even Niles would bother following them on the animal paths only Takumi seemed to see.

Leo waited for a break in the conversation before he asked, “So, what’s this really about?”

Takumi didn’t seem to mind being called out. In fact, there was a tenderness in his eyes that Leo found almost disarming. “I was thinking… since our families will be together in Nohr in a few weeks, wouldn’t that be a good time to tell them about us?”

Some terrible, invisible beast seemed to pull at Leo’s insides, spurring the beating of his heart. It seemed the dreaded countdown Leo had set himself up for begun the moment he agreed to enter the woods that day.

“Us?”

“Yes. _Us_.” Takumi said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I mean, it’s been going on for a while. I kind of…” Takumi finally began to look rightfully embarrassed, “well, I want to tell people. So I don’t need to drag you out into the middle of the woods the next time I want to talk to you. We can start feeling normal about all this.”

“ _Normal_? How would this ever begin to be normal? There is no _us_ , Takumi. Nothing worth telling anyone. What’s the point?”

Takumi’s sheepish expression hardened, confusion and anger mingling on his face.

“What are you talking about? It’s been, what, almost a year? I mean at some point you’d think we’d have to start considering…” Takumi didn’t seem to be able to say the word.

A sardonic laugh. “What, marriage?” Leo knew he sounded cruel, mocking. But in their situation, that was life. Leo had to at least let Takumi come to that conclusion as well, right?

Takumi’s eyes seemed to search Leo’s face, looking for the usual warmth that was always hidden somewhere there, for him. Leo resisted. “So –you’re saying this whole thing was pointless?”

“You seemed happy. As was I. I like to think that, at least, has some merit. ”

“Do you understand how fucking stupid that sounds?” Takumi’s outburst caused some birds hiding in some nearby bushes fly out in alarm.

“What, to want to make you happy??”

Takumi raised his arms in exasperation, lifting the Fujin Yumi as if it weighed nothing (maybe it did). “Pfft, right, and I look so happy right now, don’t I? And what about you? How dare… how dare you put this on my shoulders?? You were the one to say… to make me feel…”

“You know that was a mistake, Takumi! I’m not so cruel as to intentionally bring you into something like this.” Even if drinks weren’t involved, Leo would have never guessed a confession would somehow spark Takumi’s feelings. “But you seemed to like the attention, and I was willing to give it.”

Leo thought his reasoning was sound, but his words only seemed to make Takumi more livid.

“You don’t even see how selfish you are! I can’t believe –this whole time! I’m such a… You get to have your fun then what?? –Get absolved of any guilt by putting it on me? Waiting until _I_ conveniently break away? Huh? So this whole things was just –just some sort of pity party to you?”

Some unspecified part of Leo ached behind his steely expression. “I never pitied you.”

“Did you never love me, either?”

For a moment Leo wasn’t able to get his lungs to breath. He loved Takumi –he still loved Takumi, but reminding him of that now would only stall this unfolding disaster. Maybe having it end like this was what Leo deserved. “That’s irrelevant. Don’t be ridiculous –did you consider our nations? Our responsibilities?”

“What good has being a Prince ever done to me?” Takumi threw the Fujin Yumi on the ground. For something which may have been weightless, it’s thump into the dirt left an impact. The action startled Leo, his own hand going to hover reflexively at the tome strapped to his waist. “Nothing! This –this doesn’t hurt anyone! I… I would gladly give up my title if it meant we could be together! Except this whole thing is stupid, Leo. We _can_ be together!”

“We cannot.”

“Your brother is not Garon!”

Suddenly Leo was angry. “Don’t pretend you understand.” This came out as a snarl, vicious.

“You’re right! Clearly I don’t understand! Not that you’ve been super enlightening!”

“This was never supposed to happen!”

“But it did! Doesn’t that mean anything? I… I never thought anyone would ever love me, Leo.” The hurt, raw like all of Takumi’s emotions, felt like a blade in his chest. He could bear Takumi’s anger. He didn’t want to face Takumi’s sadness.

“Pssh. Everyone loves you! Your whole castle, the whole _country_ loves you, you’re just too shoved up in your imaginary problems to see it.” Be angry. Hate me. Please. Be _happy_ to see this end.

His scowl returned. He picked his bow up off the ground. “Fine.” Takumi didn’t sound fine, but at least it was mostly anger laced in his tone again. “I guess there’s nothing to discuss in Nohr next month then. Great. More time for me to focus on my… royal duties.” The last two words were heavy with mocking sarcasm. But he didn’t say anything more. With his eerie surefooted silence, he disappeared down a trail and into the woods, leaving Leo standing alone in the small clearing.

Leo felt hollow. He had to force himself to save replaying and analyzing every aspect of that terrible conversation for later. He also felt very lost, the lengthening shadows reminding him that he didn’t actually know his way though these woods. He mindlessly wandered for a while before giving up, throwing away whatever dignity he had left and used Brynhildr to lift him up above the treeline, in the branches of a mighty, magically induced tree, finally allowing him to see the castle in the distance.

He got back late –not that he was in any rush. Considering what he was about to do, he didn’t think missing dinner with everyone would matter much.

He found Ryouma in his private study. He told him something had come up and he was needed back in Nohr immediately. It was a bad lie, but as usual, a lie was easier to say than the truth. He added that he would finish up his report back in Krakenburg.

Ryouma, just moments ago his usual, hearty self despite the stack of tedious-looking paper in front of him, suddenly turned business-like. “Very well. If you need any assistance readying your carriage, just speak to any of our staff.”

Leo didn’t sleep that night. Thankfully, packing all his things prevented him from doing too much thinking as well. Niles was waiting in the carriage for him at the first hints of dawn. Leo knew Niles was apprehensive, on Leo’s behalf, regarding his relationship with Takumi. Leo was glad he didn’t seem to be in a rush to offer any comments or remarks this morning. Niles didn’t offer any comforting words, either. This suited Leo just fine. He felt like he was deserving of any minor punishment that was given to him today. This week. For years, maybe.

When Leo did allow himself to dwell on everything that happened, on the ride back to Norh and later, hidden away behind the stone walls of his bedroom, he thought of himself, pitied himself. Because to think too long of Takumi and the hurt he would be feeling would only further prove that the whole thing had been pointless. Worse than pointless.

No, Takumi would benefit from Leo’s decision. That was the only way Leo could begin to justify everything. Maybe one day Takumi would even thank him.

Besides, their countries needed them, didn’t they?

For some reason, Xander’s slightly surprised but curt greeting hurt Leo the most. What had Leo been expecting? After all, Xander didn’t know what Leo had given up. What Leo had thrown away to be a forever loyal subject to Nohr.

 

 

Leo did finish his report over the next three weeks. He didn’t do much else –he was aware of himself pushing people away, locking himself behind closed doors, behind books he had to force himself to find interest in again. Sleep was sporadic. His moods were grim, at best. His judgement was, at times, unstable.

Despite anything his report said, Leo felt like the outlook of his nation was dire. Policies and politics could be emulated and altered, but if the ground remained barren, the people would remain hungry and unhappy.

During a particularly bad episode, Leo, feeling like Brynhildr was the cause of both his and Nohr’s troubles, ran outside in the pouring rain and dug a shallow hole and threw it inside. This, of course, did nothing to ease his problems, and only caused his siblings to become even more concerned for him.

Elise came to his room that night.

“Did you love him, brother?” He wouldn’t patronize her by asking what she was talking about.

“Of course not.” The practised response, the only one he would allow.

Elise hugged him anyways and Leo allowed it. Perhaps he was a worse liar than he’d thought.

 

 

His brother was no longer surprised to see Leo occasionally at the breakfast table in the early hours, his schedule almost an expected disarray, now.

Xander sighed, pointedly, across from him at the table. Leo had promised Elise he would make more effort at getting himself back where he used to be. He couldn’t quite remember where that was, but he thought taking Xander’s bait was a start. It was a bit of a special day after all –one year ago today Xander had been crowned the king of Nohr.

“What is it, brother? Something troubling you?”

“I suppose it’s okay to tell you now… I was hoping by the one year anniversary of my coronation I would have been engaged. “

Despite his surprise, Leo’s face hardened. Too much talk of such formalities as of late. “Engaged, Xander? To whom?”

His brother appeared embarrassed. It was humbling. “To be honest, I was hoping Princess Sakura would have taken a liking to me. The woman is too polite; she’d only just now, in this letter, been clear about her feelings.”

Leo had mixed feelings about this. His brother did not strike him as a romantic man. It did not help that Leo basically saw Sakura as another sister. He wouldn’t admit it, yet, but he was glad of her decline. “Why Sakura? Forgive me –I didn’t notice anything particularly special between you too.”

Xander sighed, looking almost ashamed. “Such a marriage would benefit our kingdom, would it not?”

Leo tried not to let the disgust show on his face. “You would force a love for the sake of kingdoms? How… archaic.”

“There are worse things, I think.”

Leo would allow himself to e baited one more time this morning. “Oh? Such as…?”

“Neglecting a love for the sake of kingdoms.”

These words, along with his brother’s brief but pointed stare made Leo’s blood turn to ice.

“Anyways, I should probably get going. I believe we all have a lot to prepare for this evening.”

Xander took his letter and his empty cup and left Leo frozen in his chair. This strange respite was brief, and was quickly replaced by a flood of almost painfully urgent emotions.

Regret. Fear. Desperation and necessity. And, somewhere in the midst of this, hope. In a matter of seconds, Leo’s carefully built-up resolve had crumbled.

Leo nearly ran to his room, running the numbers in his head. If it took half a day to ride from Hoshido to Nohr, and the carriage usually arrived just before dinner…

“Niles?” He was shocked at how frantic he sounded. His voice cracked like he was 15 again. “ _Niles!”_

As he waited he looked desperately around his room for something, anything, to give him a chance. To buy him one more try…

His eyes fell on a particular drawer of his desk, unopened for months now. _Of course._

“My lord?”

“Niles! How quickly could you get to Shirasagi?”

Despite the urgency in Leo’s voice, Niles smiled, looking almost relieved. His response contrasted his features, “Not nearly quickly enough I’m afraid.”

“Shit!”

“Although I do have a certain skill for boarding vehicles in motion, if there is such a need…? My my… I never thought I’d see the day; has the heart finally come out of this, victorious?”

Leo was already shuffling through his drawer. He took the neatly folded letters, around two-dozen of them in total, his elegant script on each one. He shoved them unceremoniously into Niles’ chest.

“Please! Niles – _please_ , make sure he reads these. No matter what.”

He took the letters. “And if he refuses?”

“Heh. Well, then I don’t deserve the second chance after all. Hurry!”

Niles had barely closed the door, and Leo was already thinking about the next thing he had to do. He wondered what Elise might know of jewellery…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took my time updating, but I really wanted to make sure this chapter was ok! It is arguably one of the more important ones... Honestly their argument was one of the scenes I had somewhat planned out in my head from the conception of this story. Very satisfying to finally get out there. Also a few of you had already guessed those unwritten letters were gonna become relevant. Hey, I won't pretend I write groundbreaking and unpredictable plots XD
> 
> Oh my dear, flawed Leo... I tried to make Takumi seem like the more mature one in this chapter, I hope that came out somewhat clearly. 
> 
> (btw, not that it changes the plot IN ANY WAY, but I tweaked the M-rated scene from the last chapter about a week after the initial posting because it was bothering me and I honestly couldn't bring myself to continue until I remedied it...)


	9. Anniversary of Xander's Coronation

Takumi was so angry that first day, he didn’t have the capacity to feel anything else. He felt justified, then, leaving Leo standing alone in the woods, later taking satisfaction in imagining him wandering in circles in the thick forest. He’d seethed in that anger as he fell asleep that night. By the time he came down for breakfast the following morning, his emotions had calmed slightly. However, when he’d been informed that Leo had left at sunrise, his anger was replaced with such sorrow that he had to ask to be excused.

Unable to resist, he took a detour on the way to his room. When he slid open the door to Leo’s room,  it looked almost exactly the same as it had before his arrival. The only evidence of him having spent the past three and a half months here were the overstuffed bookshelf with books brought from the castle’s library and the strange smell of magic that seemed to cling to the air. Even the special heavy curtains Takumi had gotten the maids to install for Leo’s arrival were already taken down, the angry daylight filling the room.

He’d barely made it to his own room in time to save whatever dignity he might have had left. Hot, painful tears burned trails down his cheeks as he slid his door shut with shaky hands.

He felt pathetic. He _was_ pathetic. He’d offered to throw away everything he had here in Hoshido, only to be rejected by the man he’d thought loved him.

To say they’d been through a lot together was an understatement; they’d both caused and faced plenty of death. Experienced evil, the undead, unfriendly _gods_. Some would think associating someone with terrible events would sour the friendship to follow.

But of course that’s not how it happened.

Leo’s company had made things bearable. His companionship, as well as that of everyone else in Corrin’s army, was enough so that not every day was highlighted merely by battles, plans, deaths; there was some joy to be had among friends as well. And Leo, well, Leo had left Takumi breathless before he even understood why. Perhaps he should have questioned, _why_. But that examination came only later, days after a confession Takumi hadn’t been sober enough to understand the implications of at the time. And in the days to follow, it was _all_ he could think about. Someone had considered him special, singled him out, cared about what he thought. Cared about _him_! Or so he’d thought.

The idea of that sort of special attention alone was enough astound him, but the fact that it came from Leo was almost unthinkable. In the way of someone brought up by certain cultural and societal principles, Takumi had never even considered Leo as a potential romantic partner. The thought to do so simply had not occurred to him. So when the confession came, unexpected but not altogether unwelcome, and Takumi had the time alone (locked in the spare room in Nohr and later in the carriage riding East) to consider everything, the attraction came instantly.

Takumi had _admired_ Leo. Although he would never admit it, he knew this was at least partially because he saw some better version of himself in the other prince. The transition from admiration to attraction was astonishingly straightforward, considering all taboos. Was this how it was for everyone Takumi had watched fall in love during the war?

Yet the attraction seemed like such a small part of the puzzle compared to everything else they had shared and experienced together up to that point, and even thereafter. Never had Takumi been able to relate to another person as he had with Leo. As mere friends, Takumi had understood Leo fought the same battles he did; the ones that didn’t happen on battlefields. Leo fought these battles quietly –Takumi wondered how many other people besides himself glimpsed that side of Leo. He selfishly hoped the list was short.

The past few months had been beyond great. Takumi had never been into romantic fairy tales, but surely everything that they’d done together surpassed all idealistic literature. It felt like things were naturally leading up to something, culminating towards…?

 _Marriage,_ Leo’s scathing voice echoed in his ears, mocking him even after the fact. Perhaps Takumi’s first mistake had been not questioning Leo’s hesitancy regarding public opinion. As royalty, unfortunately, everything was eventually fair-game to public opinion. Takumi had been aware that some opinions (perhaps many, even) would have been negative. But he had been so drunk on the attention and the love that he couldn’t bring himself to care about the opinions of people he didn’t know and would never talk to. He’d been eager to tell the people whose opinion he did truly care about –his family, his retainers, Leo’s family –those people who could look past things and be happy for them, that he (stupidly) considered little else.

But now it was over, and how was he supposed to deal with the loss? The humiliation of loving someone so dearly only to be told you weren’t worth the trouble (and there would have been trouble) was so _cutting_ it may have well been a blade. And how he thought, idiotically, that he could somehow help heal this broken person, simply because he thought he could understand what they didn’t say. Because he thought he could love them enough that nothing else would matter.

But in the end it was Takumi who didn’t matter. He never mattered, did he? Although with Leo sometimes he thought he did; to his people, to his family, to Leo…

He missed Leo already, although the news of him leaving was shy of a few hours old. Takumi missed him because he had the understanding that even if they spoke again (he figured, considering their positions, this was inevitable), things would never be the same. _That_ Leo, the one who looked at him with fondness in his eyes, was left out in the middle of the woods somewhere.

Sick of hearing the ugly sounds of his own pitiful crying, Takumi yelled into his pillow until his voice was hoarse and he didn’t have the energy to cry anymore.

Takumi himself was a broken man. Maybe he just wanted someone to fix him too.

He didn’t leave his room for the rest of the day.

 

 

That night, he sat on the roof above his room. He couldn’t bring himself to sit on the balcony –that place reeked of Leo almost as much as the spare bedroom. They’d been together on the roof a few times as well, to use the telescope, but the nights were so short in Hoshido they hadn’t bothered staying up late enough to watch the stars more than a handful of times. When Sakura quietly joined him, two cups of tea in hand, he didn’t push her away. Had it been anyone else, he might have.

“Did you love him, big brother?”

Takumi scoffed. “Don’t be dense.”

From the look of surprise on Sakura’s face, Takumi suspected he was a better liar than he gave himself credit for. Or maybe his sorrows were finally turning back into anger. Takumi was familiar with anger –it was almost a comfort.

 

 

He had not even wanted to attend the anniversary of Xander’s coronation. Takumi had been stubborn enough in this regard that eventually Ryouma himself had to step in to finally convince Takumi that “ _yes, it would be incredibly rude to not attend”_ and eventually _“Takumi go pack your fucking bags”._

So, seething, he opted to share the smaller carriage with Sakura who, for some reason, also did not seem particularly enthused at the thought of attending the event. The two were happy to sit in unhappy silence together, lost in their own reservations about the evening and the visit as a whole. They were halfway to Nohr and Takumi was silently wondering if it would be worse to have to see Leo again so soon, or to escape the carriage and walk all the way back to Hoshido alone (the latter became less tempting the further they rode) when he heard a knock on the carriage door.

Alarmed, Takumi and Sakura sat up straight, looking at each other and then at the door. They were still moving; the carriage had not stopped, and yet someone was knocking on the window, their silhouette visible behind the semi-transparent paper blinds on the windows. Another knock, this one beating out a made-up tune. There was something familiar about this… it almost reminded Takumi of…

“Niles??” Takumi nearly yelled in surprise, while his sister merely gasped as the door clicked and swung outwards. The archer smoothly slid himself into the car and sat himself beside Takumi, shutting the door behind him.

Perhaps Leo had not been so impractical with his fear of random assassinations, for if Niles had been holding a knife instead of a secured leather satchel…

“Good morning, Prince and Princess! Or is it afternoon already? I can’t tell.”

As his sister was clearly not about to take the lead in this situation and Niles seemed to be enjoying the aftermath of his unexpected entrance, Takumi crossed his arms and demanded as normally as he could, “What are you doing here?”

“Here? As in, in your carriage heading to castle Krakenburg?”

Takumi waited, thinking this may have been a rhetorical question, but eventually gave in. “Yes! Here!”

He’d been on pleasant terms with Niles only weeks before, but this wouldn’t be the first relationship to turn sour at the drop of a hat.

“I’m a delivery boy today. Postman, actually.” He unclasped the opening on his bag and began digging delicately through it. “It seems there is a collection of terribly late mail with your name on it.”

Niles didn’t need to say who it was from. Takumi hated himself for the brief feeling of hopeful curiosity he felt. He knew he hid it too late when he saw Niles’ smile turn smug.

Takumi tried a recovery. “Well. Maybe I’m too busy to read mail. What if reading in the carriage makes me feel ill?”

“Well that would be most unfortunate! Still, I’ll leave these here with you,” Niles slid the opened bag on the seat closer to Takumi, who inched away as if it were cursed. At least half a dozen neatly folded pieces of paper were peeking out. “What you do with them is up to you –I’m merely the messenger, after all!”

Niles proceeded to open the carriage door and somehow exit (shutting the door behind him) as if were the backdoor to the garden and not a royal carriage traveling at a respectable speed. After half a second, Takumi couldn’t help himself and leaned towards the window to look behind the blind to see what sort of trickery was used, but Niles was nowhere in sight. Takumi slumped back down in his seat.

Sakura, who’d been sitting dumbfounded and quiet through the exchange now said softly, “You _do_ get sick when you read in the carriage…” Despite everything, she may have been poking fun at him. Takumi was nowhere near in the mood for any of that.

“Exactly. All the more reason to ignore them completely.”

Sakura didn’t respond to this, so they went back to sitting in silence; Sakura with a book, Takumi with his thoughts. Thoughts which definitely weren’t considering the contents of the mysterious bag of letters. Why should he care what Leo had to say? …What would Leo have to say?

“You should read them.”

Takumi huffed dramatically. “If you insist!” He grabbed the bag possessively, trying not to get his hopes up, and trying not to dwell on the realization that this feeling of curiosity was the closest thing he’d felt to happiness in the past 18 days (not that he was counting or anything). He looked for the earliest dated letter…

 

 

By the time they’d arrived at the castle, Takumi had read through each letter twice and Sakura was convinced he’d been about to throw up for the past two hours. Takumi wished it was merely motion sickness making him feel unwell.

They were hardly finished being welcomed by Camilla and Xander just inside the doors when Takumi asked, abruptly, “Where’s Leo?”

Uneasy looks were exchanged.

Although Takumi knew his own family was likely able to guess what had caused his mood to turn so suddenly a few weeks ago, he never actually explained anything to them. The whole situation was still too painful, and for some reason he’d still felt compelled to honour the secrecy Leo had held so dear. So his family had taken his haughty, combative and sometimes sullen attitudes with remarkably little complaint. By the fleeting expressions on Xander and Camilla’s faces, Takumi suspected they were also at least somewhat aware that things were tense between him and Leo. Not for the first time, Takumi wondered how the other Prince may have acted once he returned to Nohr. Regardless, in light of recent events, Takumi was currently unbothered by the blatant confusion his question seemed to cause.

“Ah… I haven’t seen my dear brother since last night. I’m sure Leo will join us shortly –why don’t we all share some tea and lunch in the smaller dining room, hmm? Our maids will help you unpack your luggage and take you to your rooms…”

Takumi wasn’t interested in tea, and he highly doubted he’d find Leo sitting casually with a teacup. As soon as Takumi was shown his room (his usual), he took the opportunity to try and find the other prince himself. The library. His chambers. Takumi even managed to sneak outside and check the tower where they’d watched the stars. He seemed to have vanished –and the castle staff were surprisingly unhelpful. They almost seemed afraid to speak with him; _why is this foreign Prince stomping determinedly through our castle and slamming all the doors?_

Miffed, Takumi eventually returned to his room, favouring the cold bed to the idea of socializing.

Takumi wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say if he’d been able to find Leo. Without context, the letters seemed almost like an invasion of Leo’s privacy, and Takumi had mixed feelings. On one hand, why would Leo write such personal things in the first place? They were addressed to him, but he doubted they were ever intended to be sent. So why send them _now_? The logic of the whole thing was lacking, and the Nohrian prince was usually a stickler for logic. Besides, Takumi would have much rather Leo _told_ him such things when they were together, in person. Leo often came off as aloof, but Takumi knew better than that. The letters, if nothing else, were a bittersweet reaffirmation that Leo wasn’t as cold seemed –a nice thought, since the last impression Takumi had of him was downight icy. Now that things were effectively over between them, the sentimental snippets written in Leo’s flowery hand seemed out of place, bringing up feelings he’d been trying to forget.

And between the almost uncharacteristic tenderness were the stories of a deranged and unfortunate childhood. It made Takumi regret some of the things he’d said. He’d pushed for things which were more out of Leo’s scope that Takumi had realized. It almost made him feel pity for the other prince –but he brushed away this feeling violently, knowing that the last thing Leo would want is to feel pitied.

But why would Leo send these letters _now_? Because of what they contained he almost wondered if Leo was mocking him. At the same time, _because of what they contained_ , Takumi knew he wasn’t.

Eventually (how long had he been brooding in his thoughts?) he began to hear the hustle and bustle of the staff in the halls as the preparations for the banquet began. More guests would be arriving soon. An irritated knock on the door revealed his brother, looking understandably cross. Takumi didn’t look away from the stern expression –Ryouma could make him come with them to Nohr but he couldn’t force Takumi to _enjoy_ himself too. Eventually Ryouma’s features softened and he sighed.

“Can you please put on your nice clothes and come downstairs? The reception is starting. Just… just pretend everything is normal for tonight –for Xander’s sake at least. The rest of the week is yours to do as you please, I promise.”

Irritated, Takumi didn’t appreciate the feeling he was being negotiated with. But taking his brother’s advice to strive for normality he merely replied, “Right.”

As Takumi put on his fancy attire, a similar piece to what he wore last year, he wondered how anything could feel “normal” again when he and his best friend weren’t speaking. The only thing that felt normal was Takumi’s slight envy that Leo seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth just in time to avoid a fancy party. He almost snickered at that.

Takumi hung near the walls during the mingling and appetizers. Thankfully, he had Sakura for company, since Elise also seemed to be missing. He people-watched the guests in their fancy clothes; many from Nohr but also a considerable amount seemed to be from Hoshido too. Had he attended last year’s event long enough he probably would have recognized a few of them. He was also reacquainted with some of his companions from the war. Effie and Beruka both had babies now –he wasn’t sure which mother was more unexpected.

Dinner was somehow both heavy and flavourless, traits particular to Nohrian food which Takumi almost felt nostalgic about. How many nights had they had boiled potatoes and cabbage for dinner during the war? At some point during dinner Takumi caught Elise sneak into her seat across from her sister. Leo’s seat was still empty.

He tried to fixate only on his annoyance that he was suffering through this meal alone, since it was easier being angry about something petty than to dwell on his long list of other anxieties.

The tables were both cleaned and cleared away after Xander gave an attempt at an uplifting speech (the agriculture sector was still struggling, relations among the citizens were still being forged…). It looked like a band was setting up; Takumi decided he was finally going to find his brother and pointedly tell him he was tired and going to retire to his bed.

When scanning the crowd along the perimeter of the open space (cleared for dancing, presumably), he caught sight of something else that made him let out a small gasp. There, standing in the crowd as if he hadn’t been missing the entire night, was Leo, dressed in his Nohrian finery. And he was looking straight at him! And smiling! The nerve…!

Takumi forgot all about Ryouma. Suddenly, he felt he had a million things to say to Leo. He only briefly considered how 90% of them would almost certainly cause a scene. How many times would Ryouma (verbally) kill him if he ended up making a scene at King Xander’s big anniversary?

Takumi felt a scowl appear on his face. He raised his finger accusingly.

Takumi was vaguely aware of music beginning to play from the stage. Slow, soft, orchestral music. The sappy kind that made people feel awkward until they found someone to dance with –as was clearly the case amongst the milling crowd in the banquet hall.

Takumi, finger still raised, was trying to come up with some choice words to tell the other Prince when, before he even considered making his way to him proper, Leo deliberately stepped out of the edge of the crowd and into the open and currently uninhabited space on the floor. He walked in a straight line, cutting through the clearing and apparently oblivious to the eyes watching him. With a dull horror Takumi realized he was walking straight towards _him_ …! Whatever he had been planning on saying was immediately forgotten. As Leo continued to close the space, Takumi had to resist the childish urge to run and hide behind someone. His hand and his finger fell limply to his side. Leo still wore a soft smile that was unnerving Takumi more than anything else. He wasn’t sure the last time he breathed so he took a deliberate breath for good measure.

Leo now stood directly in front of him, back facing the open space, and the crowds of curious eyes. He stood there, looking Takumi softly in the eyes for only half a second longer before he dropped to one knee, bowed his head, and lifted one of his hands towards Takumi.

For a moment Takumi thought the band may have stopped playing in shock equal to his own, but quickly realized he’d just imagined the silence. He didn’t imagine the few audible gasps from the surrounding crowd he heard shortly after though. Leo was asking him to dance –and not just in the typical fashion; he was asking him in the overly formal manner reserved for very few or special occasions. Leo was asking him to dance and _making a point of it_.

Takumi was completely disarmed. Later he would wonder what may have happened had he refused, but of course he wouldn’t refuse.

Takumi took Leo’s outstretched hand with due hesitation. From the look on Leo’s face, Takumi trusted this wasn’t some sort of trap –he was wary but he didn’t think Leo would actually try to embarrass him in front of a crowd of important people. Still, he was unnerved. The day seemed to be full of surprises.

Leo stood up and lead him towards the center of the dancefloor. Their fingers intertwined and Leo’s hand was resting gently on his waist.

“You look surprised.” It was said so quietly Takumi wasn’t sure if he actually heard it or if he just read Leo’s lips.

“Everyone is watching us.” The attention was enough to make even Takumi blush. It didn’t help that he didn’t yet know quite what to make of this development.

“Are they?” To his credit, Leo looked remarkably undisturbed. He was neither reveling in the attention nor shy about it. In fact, all of his attention seemed to be focused on looking Takumi directly in the eyes. It was intimate enough that Takumi almost wanted to look away, except there was more comfort in those eyes than in the judging faces of those around them. And who could blame them? Two princes were openly dancing, together, during a formal event.

The steps they were taking were familiar; it was like the dance they shared in Leo’s bedroom one year ago. That time it was Takumi who’d asked for the dance, although ironically he had been almost equally confused about the situation as he was now.

“Leo –I got all your letters. Surely there must have been a better way to –“

“Apologize? For being the biggest idiot in the entire kingdom?” They were whispering so that no one in the vicinity could hear them. It looked like Ryouma and Elise had started dancing together as well (Takumi caught Elise’ encouraging face from a dozen feet away) and this seemed to be enough to ease some of the attention away from them as others paired up and made their way to the floor.

Leo took a breath and seemed to brace himself, the only sign of any discomfort since Takumi had seen him that evening. “I love you, Takumi. More than any kingdom. More than any supposed responsibilities or duties.” His words were earnest, although his eyes showed some apprehension. Was he… worried?

Takumi tried to grasp at some of his earlier resolve. “Oh yeah?” He felt his heart beat in his chest in protest and in anticipation. “And what if I don’t accept your apology? You think you can just send an array of… of disorganized and unrelated letters and everything will be back to normal?” Takumi remembered the hurt he’d felt only a few hours ago, when he realized Leo had not actually shared any of these sentiments or memories with him. Or worse, the hurt from a few weeks ago when Leo argued against them being together like it wasn’t even worth the discussion.

Leo leaned in slightly, tilting his head closer, closing some of the space between them. “Then I will court you. Mercilessly, without a thought of anyone and their opinions except yours.”

This, like many other things this evening, caught Takumi off guard. “C-court me?”

“Mercilessly,” he repeated. “I will take you hunting in the forests to the North, where there are deer twice as large as the one we caught last autumn. I will buy you the nicest meals from all the restaurants Nohr or Hoshido have to offer –we’ll eat in a private booth all to ourselves. I’ll use my telescope and find a new star. I’ll name it after you. We’ll attend all the Hoshidan festivals, and then, invent some for us to attend in Nohr.” He leaned in even closer, so his lips were almost tickling Takumi’s ear. “I will take you to my bed, for you to do whatever you like with me.” He leaned back again, in time to see Takumi's blush (although his expression remained firm). “You were the best thing to ever happen to me. I pushed you away, and if you can’t forgive that, I can understand. But then I will start from the beginning. I intend to do everything properly, this time.”

“To what end?” Takumi wouldn’t be drawn in to a pointless heartache because of Leo’s flattering words a second time.

“If you would have me, I wish to marry you, Takumi.”

Takumi finally felt his guard crumble. He couldn’t breath. “What?” he whispered. Takumi had been living with the reality for weeks (18 days) that his lovesick fantasy was just that –fantasy. Two princes couldn’t marry. Responsibilities and social conduct apparently took precedence. He’d finally conceded that it must have been him who was the weird one, the one to fall too deep. And now… “You can’t be serious.”

(Except Leo was almost always serious.)

“I have a ring in my back pocket. You can check –if you like. If you wish, I will give it to you right now, in front of all these people. I won’t think an extra second of it.” Takumi discreetly moved one of his hands and – _holy shit_. “That being said, if it’s of no consequence, I think it would be easier on our loved ones if we took this one step at a time. People generally prefer the formalities of such a thing.”

Leo still hadn’t looked away, so he certainly noticed the wetness forming at the corners of Takumi’s eyes. His pesky emotions were getting the better of him yet again. Leo’s reassuring and easy smile faltered. “Takumi, are you alright?” Concern bled into his voice. No, not just concern. Insecurity. His façade was cracking. “Takumi –I’m sorry. I don’t deserve a second chance, I know –“

“Shhh! Shhh… shut up.” They’d stopped dancing at some point. Takumi wasn’t even sure if it was still the same song or if the band had moved on to a new once since they’d started. Leo was worried –genuinely worried—that he would push him away. Even now, he was watching him, hanging on to whatever he would say next, his features both doting and hesitant. (Takumi was too embarrassed to admit he was crying out of some mixture of relief and happiness).

He’d already forgiven Leo. How could he not? Although it wasn’t the charming invitation to dance, nor the obliging and courteous apology. It was that brief moment, seconds ago, when Leo lost his cool exterior and seemed afraid of losing him that Takumi finally allowed himself to drop forego his remaining anger. But that didn’t mean he would relent so easily. He owed it to himself to at least not make it easy.

“I… I could be sold on this courting thing. But first…” Takumi partially detached himself from Leo’s grasp. He tried to casually wipe his eyes with the back of one of his long sleeves. “Let’s get the hell out of here. I’m sick of these… festivities.” Takumi pulled at Leo’s hand, leading them off the dancefloor and towards the exit. They were walking quickly, both with a private smiles on their faces. When they were halfway to the door they heard Xander’s booming voice from somewhere across the room. “Leo! Where do you think you’re sneaking off to??” Despite the volume, he sounded almost jolly; there was no true reprimand here.

Somewhere nearby, Ryouma’s voice answered, “Let them have their fun!”

Leo’s grip on Takumi’s hand tightened and he whispered behind a grin, “Run!” They laughed as they ran, clumsily, weaving through incredulous guests before rushing through the heavy doors and finding themselves in the incredible and surprising silence of the hallway.

Takumi panted lightly. The excitement seemed to have Leo out of breath as well. Takumi gave a nudge. “Hey, better watch out, or you’ll make a scene.”

They laughed some more at this.

They knew their would be consequences to deal with, but they seemed to wordlessly agree to worry about that later. That evening they hid shamelessly in Leo’s room, trying to make sense of everything they’d done wrong. After all, they were both too prideful to make the same mistakes twice. Leo made the effort to talk, and Takumi was more than happy to listen.

 

 

Somewhere behind the castle grounds, a small plant, nothing yet more than two leaves atop a thin stem, poked through the hard Nohrian soil. It was an unusual season for tree saplings, but this one’s roots just barely touched an ancient tome, buried (planted) here in a shallow hole. It would be months until the fields across the kingdom, thought to be forever barren, would surprise the people with bright green seedlings. For once, as if by magic, there would be enough food to feed the people, the soil yielding the hardiest and most bountiful harvest in recorded history.

The soil would remain fertile for generations. Only a few people would note that it seemed to carry with it the faint smell of static.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone! The end has finally come, and I hope I've given these two losers the ending they deserve!
> 
> I had that dance scene in my head since THE VERY BEGINNING. I literally had it written months ago. I hope I did it justice. 
> 
> PLEASE if you haven't already, please read the part 1 of this fic; it's only 1 chapter and it's probably still my favourite chapter of this whole series. ALSO if you haven't commented yet, please comment and tell me what you thought of this whole mess! (Heck, even if you already commented, please feel free to do so again!). Also please feel free to hit me up @chrrybubblegum; I've made at least a few friends from this fic, I wouldn't mind making some more :3c
> 
> Fun things that I wasn't able to include:  
> 1) Leo wasn't at the first part of the celebration because he was out with Elise buying Takumi a wedding ring  
> 2) He was actually back in time for dinner but didn't go because he was worried if he ate anything he would throw up (because Leo is not nearly as cool as he pretends to be)  
> 3) In case I didn't make it obvious, Leo accidentally saved Nohr's entire farming industry by having his tantrum and "planting" Brynhildr... If I had more talent and more patience for political plots I would have liked to go into wrapping up some of the political things I mentioned but I think there's enough here to suggest Leo and Takumi being together will actually be good in the long-run for both their countries.  
> ((4) Ok don't judge me for this one but that little sapling grows into a big (magical) tree, and for whatever reason Takumi uses the Fujin Yumi and shoots an arrow (or 2...) into it one day and long story short that's where Forrest and Kiragi come from. They develop in magical tree-womb things from where Takumi's (magical) arrows hit. I like to have my cake and eat it too. I see you judging me.))
> 
>  
> 
> ... I'm not saying I WILL, but if I DO, part 3 of this series will be called "Festivities".


End file.
